Juliet's Path
by MandaLynWilson
Summary: ON HOLD-AU No wolves. Bella steps into the meadow in NM, Laurent bites her, but is interrupted. Rejected by her Romeo, would dear Juliet head to the only place left to end it all? Would the Volturi grant her wish or give her something to live for?
1. Ch 1 The End of the Beginning

Chapter 1: The End of the Beginning

**Bella' POV**:

It wasn't the peaceful place I remembered at all. There was pain here. Why had I sought this place? This was a physical manifestation of the hole threatening to rip me to shreds. It was too much.

All the ones I have been surviving for were not enough. I couldn't live for anyone else anymore. Not my father. It only hurt him more to see me this way. A zombie who would never be a real girl anymore. I couldn't keep hurting him.

Not even for my Jacob. My best friend. What he wants... What he needs... I just can't be. There's no heart in me left to give him. Of course, the eternal spring of hope that is my sweet Jacob would never give up trying to make me happy again. I will never be happy again. I have to stop hurting him. I have to just stop being.

But how? Probably some accident. I have always been a life-threatening accident waiting to happen. It's really only a matter of time. Something dangerous is bound to happen sooner or later and this time... no one will be here to save me.

I'm good for no one. Not really. Continuing to exist only hurts. I want to stop hurting. So much pain. Ever since he bored of me. So much pain.

Having wandered aimlessly while deciding my fate, I finally collapsed on the cold, damp grass near the middle of the clearing. It was another gray, overcast, miserable, typical Forks day.

The cruel irony was if only I had never known them, my life would be okay. Not interesting. Not happy, but survivable. I'm sure being friends with Jessica would have been better in the long run.

A normal life. That's what he wanted for me. Why couldn't he understand that the one event precluding that possibility was meeting him. There was no going back. There was no un-knowing.

I took a deep breath and looked around the meadow from my prone position on the wet ground. It was a dead place. Quiet. Like no life could exist within this circle of trees. Gone were the beautiful flowers and the gentle buzz of life I remembered from that one perfect afternoon, shared with a shining creature who stole my heart before eventually destroying my very soul. Ironic that he believed turning me would destroy my soul—it only took losing him.

I was startled from my morose ramblings by movement to my left. I propped up on my elbows and turned to see a nightmare in my dead meadow. It was appropriate really. A place so filled with death should include one of his kind—one who would probably be my welcome death.

"Bella," he trilled in that beautiful French accent. "Why are here, lying alone on the damp ground?"

I shrugged noncommittally. What answer did I owe him? He stared at me and waited for a response. Damn vampires and their patience. Fine. If he wanted me to speak, I would tell the truth with my last breaths. "I was waiting for you."

"Were you expecting me, my dear?" He chuckled at me, probably thinking me mad for speaking to him this way.

"Yes. I came here to be done. I knew I needed to stop. I knew this would be the place. It was only a matter of time until death found me. And here you are."

"You want to die? You a very peculiar human. First, spending time with vampires, now... that's it, isn't it? Did they abandon you, love?"

His sneer cut me. I didn't even know it was possible to hurt more. Why was he tormenting me? Why not just kill me? He was obviously thinking about it. His ruby eyes glistened at me like I was a juicy steak prepared just the way he preferred.

Frustrated, I decided this was taking too long. I pushed myself up off the cold ground and moved towards him. Stopping just in front of him, I moved my hair to one side and bared my neck.

"There's no point to this banter. You shouldn't play with your food, Laurent. Now. Please... end this."

A single tear rolled down my cheek. It was not a tear of fear or sadness, but one of pure relief. The pain would end soon.

"How could I refuse such a precious gift?" He lifted his hands to run them gently up and down my arms. "Victoria will be so angry... oh and my dearest Irina. I pray she will forgive me one day. After all, you want this. I am doing you a kindness, ending your suffering."

I rolled my eyes and looked up into his, gone onyx with hunger. My patience was gone. I snapped. "If you've managed to talk yourself into it now, do you mind?" I stretched my neck out further and hoped he'd get this over with. Worthless, dramatic vampires! Too much drama. Too little action.

**Laurent's POV:**

The impetuous little brat. I'd never met anyone in all my years so eager to die. In truth, it did not matter. As soon as I stepped into this meadow and smelled her, I knew. She would not leave this place alive.

I could not care less about Victoria's petty agenda, as I slid my hands over Bella's tiny shoulders and drew her nearer. Pulling her as close as possible, I leaned over her exquisite pale throat and blew out a breath against her skin. I waited for the increase in heart rate that always accompanied the fear of my bite but it never came. I felt only a sigh of relief as my lips touched her pulse point.

She really did want this. No. She needed it. A release. I prayed to my sire that Irina would forgive this. I was becoming so fond of that peculiar, vegetarian succubus. In fact, just thinking of those golden love-filled eyes gave me pause, but as I took a small breath, the intoxicating scent of the delicate human in my arms overwhelmed any further thought.

My teeth pierced the delicate silk and the honeyed life-force filled my mouth. To say she was exquisite would be a gross understatement. My eyes rolled back as I drank from her greedily. I barely took notice of her half-hearted struggle as my venom burned the life from her.

Lost to the most amazing sensations of my existence, I almost missed the movement to my left. Survival instinct alone distracted me from my meal as I turned and crouched to defend myself and my prey.

When my eyes focused on the threat, I thought my heart would break. I had no idea I was capable of emotional pain. I'd never before actually cared deeply enough about anything in all the years since my dear sire gifted me with this existence. But when those golden eyes looked into mine with disappointment and betrayal, I knew that I loved this woman. I would do whatever it took to make this right because this crazy, animal-eating succubus was my _raison d'être_.

Shame filled me but before I could speak to defend myself, she fled. I had to explain. This wasn't as bad as it appeared to be. With no other thought but begging for her forgiveness, I raced off after her.

**Bella's POV:**

I welcomed death's embrace. Sweet release would soon be mine. No more pain after this small bit more. But this pain was neither small nor slight. The initial bite had not been too bad. I was, after all, the most accident prone human still alive. I had experienced much worse.

What I had underestimated was the venom. Either time had dulled my memory of James' venom or Laurent's was much much worse. I was burning up from the inside out. Fire swept through my veins as my blood flowed from my body. There was nothing but pain and fire.

Why was this taking so long? How much blood could I possibly contain? The burn had been my companion for what felt like days. When would this suffering end?

Finally, after what seemed liked years, I was distracted by own heartbeat. It was accelerating. Was this it? Had my beautiful respite come at last? But then, I heard the most terrifying sound of all. My heart stopped. Death, I was prepared for. An end to my existence was what I craved. Why was I experiencing not having a heartbeat? Why could I feel the wet ground beneath me? I could feel rain drops hitting my body. What was happening?

Slowly, I opened my eyes and looked around. The meadow? Had I fallen asleep and dreamt of Laurent?

After staring at it for a moment I realized I could see a vein of a leaf at the top of a giant tree on the other side of the meadow. NO! I shot up so quickly I startled myself. I frantically looked at my surroundings, trying to convince myself it wasn't true. I could not be...

Suddenly, I remembered Laurent again. Where could he be? Using all the heightened senses I had now been cursed with, I searched for the monster who did this to me.

After only a fraction of a second, I knew three things with absolute certainty. First, I was a newborn vampire. Second, I was completely and utterly alone. And third, if I did not get as far away as possible, my blood lust would force me to do something I would regret for the rest of eternity.

Where on this earth could I run to avoid them? I took a deep breath, trying to think. Then it hit me. I no longer needed to breathe. I took off towards the Pacific in a blur of speed and was surprised to find myself, only a moment later, at the bottom of the ocean floor.


	2. Ch 2 The Deep Blue Sea

Chapter 2 The Deep Blue Sea

Skimming the ocean floor, I couldn't help but feel a bit like Ariel from that Disney movie, The Little Mermaid. Everything was shiny and I wanted to explore it all. Renee always loved watching cartoons on Saturdays with me when I was little.

Renee... Charlie... Jacob... I had meant for them to have a body to mourn, but fate had a different plan as usual. Now their mourning would probably be delayed while they searched for me. But they would never find me. Eventually they would give up. Eventually they would move on. I hoped they would find happiness sooner, rather than later. They deserved to be happy.

I swallowed a bit of salty ocean water as I sobbed tearlessly. The cool water did nothing to appease the burning in my throat, only call attention to my need to feed. And soon. I wondered if any vampire had existed on a diet of fish blood before as I swam a short distance and grabbed a shark. It took me several bites, but eventually I found a vein and drained the poor creature.

I almost let it float away before I realized that a blood-drained shark would be suspicious if found. I ripped it to tiny shreds before looking for another to help alleviate my thirst. It was hard to think past the pain in my throat and I was immensely grateful that I had come straight into the ocean and avoided humans entirely.

I drank until I felt sloshy. The burn in my throat was neither gone nor forgotten, but it was more tolerable. What now? I couldn't just sit on the floor of the Pacific for the rest of eternity.

Eternity. Fate was truly cruel. All I wanted was death. What do I get? Immortality! It's not true. The old poem about it being better to have loved and lost... no. Ignorance would have been better. And now I was cursed, not with a lifetime of the pain of being abandoned and unloved, but an eternity. An eternity to remember that he didn't love me, didn't want me. None of them did. How had I accumulated enough bad karma for this torture?

He'd once compared us to Romeo and Juliet. Now I understood and agreed with his comments about the ease with which humans can be released from their fragile existences. Unless of course the particular human was me, apparently.

Vampires. Immortality. It was all overrated if it meant an eternity of pain and sorrow. Could I do what he had talked about? Could I find the Vampire Kings? I knew they were in Italy but I couldn't go to shore. My release from this existence was not worth the price countless human might pay for my mistakes if I tried to walk among them.

No. Not yet, but one day—some day soon. I would get this hunger under control. I would find the brothers and beg again for a respite from the never ending misery of my existence.

Over the next several months I carefully made my way south, traveling deep down on the ocean floor and far from any shores. I barely registered the temperature changes as I rounded the southern end of the globe and began back up through the Atlantic and ever closer to my eventual destination.

I tasted many types of ocean life, but I was careful to avoid any that I knew to be endangered. I also shredded my meals to the tiniest scraps to prevent leaving any breadcrumb trails. Not than anyone would be looking for me here and even if they were, it was a big ocean, but it was better to be safe. The last thing I wanted was to draw any attention of any kind.

I decided that the carnivores tasted best. Some sharks or the occasional whale were my preference. I tried to be careful not to kill too many of any one type of creature. I did not want to harm their ecosystems as I passed through.

I often found myself distracted by shiny objects. There were so many wondrous shipwrecks, caverns, and reef systems to explore. I tried not to disturb too much, but took a few valuable coins I found here and there. There was always a chance I would need some currency whenever I eventually hit shore.

I thought often, as I swam ever closer to them, of the three faces I had seen in the painting in Carlisle's study a short time ago. Those who were revered as gods by humans and respected as royalty by vampires. They were the feared upholders of vampire law. The Volturi. Aro, Caius, and Marcus. _He_ had told me that irritating these three would be the end of any vampire.

What would they be like in person? Would they grant my plea? I was sure they would be stubborn and used to getting their own way. That level of privilege precludes any spark of empathy, right? With great power comes great... greed, most likely. I had to remember going into this what they were. They were not like the Cullens. These were soulless, human-drinkers. They were evil.

What right did I have to judge though? What had I really seen of the world? What did I understand? Nothing. The Cullens, after all, were not that good to me. Had I ever really known them? I was just a pet to them. No one of consequence. Sure, they didn't feed from humans, but was treating one like property any better?

The more I thought about it, the angrier I became. He had swept into my life and taken away my choices. Sure, he said he had my welfare at heart, but he obviously had no clue as to what I really needed. Nor did he care what I wanted. If he had, I would not be lurking in the Mediterranean Sea, trying to decide if I was ready to test my ability to resist human blood!

No. I was here because Mr. Knows-better-than-anyone-what's-best-for-Bella never once gave a damn what I thought was best for me! Never once asked what I wanted. Tearless sobs racked my frame as I cursed the one I used to love and sank into the blue mud below my feet. The one I gave my heart to, broke it. Now here I am. Immortal. Broken. Terrified. Weak. Angry. Outraged! How dare he?

I resolved I would find the strength I needed and I climbed out the water and walked up the Tuscan shore.


	3. Ch 3 The Brothers Volturi

Chapter 3 The Brothers Volturi

A/N: I should have called this chapter the one that would not end. I tried several times to find a place to break it into a new chapter, but it just seemed to keep flowing. I hope you enjoy this nice long one. Thank you all for reading and reviewing. I welcome any comments and criticism. I do this to practice my storytelling and writing and I appreciate feedback. Thanks! :)

I found a small clearing, and sensing no one around, I stripped off the wet clothes that I'd been swimming in for the past six months or so. I spread them out to allow them to dry and stretched out in the soft grass under the warm sunshine. I marveled at my own hands as they threw rainbows in every direction.

I felt strong, new. I stood and paced around a bit, keeping my senses peeled for any sign of someone approaching. I reached out for a small sapling near the edge of the clearing and snapped it up easily. For the first time, I felt powerful. I was as strong as _Him_. I was a new creature. No longer prey. I was now the predator. I was ready. No one would deny me.

It took a bit of wandering, but I eventually discovered the path to the city on the hill. As I climbed toward the beautiful old castle, I thought back on the last few days I had traveled the Italian countryside after climbing from the sea.

The first time I encountered a human, a hunter just outside the clearing I had stopped to dry off in, I was petrified. I climbed into the tallest tree I could find and held my breath. I waited until he was almost out of range before I chanced a breath to gauge my reaction to his scent. It was appalling. How strange. The first human I find as a vampire is a stinky one. Very convenient.

As time passed and I encountered more and more humans, I realized they _all_ smelled bad to me. It was like spoiled milk or leftovers that have been in the fridge too long. They smelled like food, but not like food I would ever eat. Perhaps my aversion from the start caused a psychosomatic response? Maybe they smelled bad to me because I was disgusted with the idea of feeding on them? Whatever the cause, I was thrilled not to have to worry about losing control and killing any humans.

Finally drawing close to the castle, I noticed two figures by an old wooden door. One was very short, a child perhaps, and the other was unusually tall. They were both draped in dark red robes that covered them completely. As I zoned in on them, I realized they didn't stink and they didn't have heartbeats.

Hoping not to startle them and cause a fight, I carefully cleared my throat and spoke too softly for human perception. "Excuse me, I was hoping you might be able to help me. I am seeking a trio of brothers in this city." I hoped that would be enough of an explanation of whom I sought because I was unsure of how to address them appropriately.

The vampires turned as I began speaking and stood silently staring at me. The shorter of the two was a beautiful young girl with long blond hair and shocking red eyes. She was too young for eternal life. I couldn't help but pity her being stuck in a prepubescent state. She would never be a woman. The other vampire was frightening in size and apparent strength. He looked like a larger version of Emmett without the charming personality.

After what seemed like ages under their scrutiny, the girl finally spoke up. "You have the most unusual eyes. How are they that color?"

"My eyes?" I asked, taken aback by such a strange question. These two must never have met the Cullens if they didn't know why my eyes were gold. "I'm sure it's just my diet."

"What have you been eating?" She asked, her voice filled with wonder.

"What difference does it make?" I asked, beginning to get annoyed. I was in no mood for a debate over the morality of feeding on humans. "Can you show me to them, or not?"

The girl narrowed her ruby eyes at me and if looks could kill, I wouldn't need the brothers after receiving her angry glare.

After a tense moment, the larger vampire laughed. "Well. How about that? Now we really have to take her to Aro. He's going to love figuring how she's shielding from you, Jane." He laughed again, looking me over with an expression that looked remarkably like awe.

"Shut up, Felix!" The little blond snapped at him before turning and stomping off impetuously into the castle.

Felix just continued to watch me for another moment before he gestured for me to follow Jane inside. It was dark as we descended further into the castle. My instincts were driving me crazy for letting such a threatening creature as Felix stalk behind me. I tried to calm myself. If he meant me harm, I'd know it by now, right? He said Aro would be interested in me so maybe that afforded me some measure of safety from him. Funny that I wanted to feel safe on my way to beg for death.

The girl that led us, Jane, seemed very upset. Was she really so angry just because I didn't want to talk about my eating habits with her? Could she really be the petty child that she appeared to be or was there something else going on? Felix had said something to her about shielding before she stomped off. I was definitely missing a piece of the puzzle here. But why did I care? I honestly didn't know.

After walking for what seemed like forever and following the catacomb paths, I was surprised to be ushered into an elevator only to emerge moments later in an elegant lobby complete with a high desk and a _human_ secretary. Why would a human work here? Weren't they just for dinner? Perhaps the concept of human pets was more common in this world than I once believed.

Jane flung a huge set of doors open down a short hallway and stepped into a beautiful, well-lit chamber. This was not what I was expecting, but I'd yet to meet a vampire that didn't surprise me. She stopped in the middle of the high-ceiling room and bowed her head before speaking.

"Masters, this very unusual guest wishes to speak with you. Felix," she sneered with a nod at the big oaf flanking me to the left, "thought you might be interested in her." Somehow she managed to sound respectful to them and completely insulting to me in the same tone. What a nasty little girl!

I turned my attention from her to the three brothers I sought, sitting on thrones at the front of the chamber. They were easily recognizable for the painting I'd seen. The one to my left was very handsome, but looked bored beyond belief. The blond to my far right was good looking in his own way, but seemed very stuck up at first glance. The one in the center had long raven hair and a look of curiosity on his handsome face. He was undoubtedly the leader.

He stood and approached me as he spoke. "How very strange. I'm afraid I have never seen eyes like yours on a vampire. Forgive me, but they are startling and very beautiful." He paused and just stared at me for a moment. "I am sorry. I am being quite rude. I am Aro, these are my brothers, Caius and Marcus. We are honored to have you visit us here in Volterra. What is your name, my dear?"

"Thank you. I am... Isabella." I thought it better to use the longer version of my name. I wasn't sure if they had heard of Edward's pet _Bella_ or not, but I didn't want to immediately make that connection either way. "I don't understand what you mean about my eyes. I know for a fact you've known other vegetarian vampires."

"Well, yes, Isabella. We have met those whose eyes are gold where ours are red, but your eyes are not gold. Have you never seen your own eyes?"

I thought about it a moment. "No, I suppose I haven't seen them since I was changed. When I was human they were brown. Are they still?" How strange.

"No, my dear. They are quite blue. Like a midnight sky. Jane," he called, turning to her. "Please go fetch a mirror. Isabella should see this for herself." Jane took off out of the room with a huff and Aro returned his attention to me.

"Well, this is fascinating," he remarked in a tone that made me shiver and reached for my hand, "and what can my brothers and I do for you, young Isabella?" The sound of my name on his tongue was intoxicating. He pronounced it with the appropriate Italian accent and his tone was one of awe. Just hearing him say my name made me feel important. I wondered if it was his power to dazzle people with his voice as I reached out to let him take my hand.

"I had heard," I began slowly, "that when a vampire wished to no longer exist, you were the ones to see about making that happen." I was ashamed to be discussing what was essentially my desire to commit suicide with such a refined creature. As he gently took my hand in his, he closed his eyes for a moment before they flew back open and he gave me a look that was part frustration and part wonder.

At that moment, Jane came back into the room and handed me the mirror before addressing Aro. "You either, huh? Well, I'm glad to know it wasn't just me."

I heard Aro say something about me confounding them, but I was having trouble concentrating as I stared at my reflection in the small mirror. I was... kinda beautiful. My eyes were, as he said, a very dark blue. Like the ocean. Could it be my time spent there? Why were my eyes _this_ color?

"Isabella," Aro whispered, placing a hand tenderly on my shoulder to get my attention. "You may keep the mirror and look at your beautiful face all you'd like, but wasn't there something you wished to discuss with us first?"

If I still could have blushed I'd have been ten shades of red. "I'm so sorry. I just had no idea what I looked like after I was changed." 

"It's quite all right, my dear. You are definitely worth taking the time to stare at. However, you spoke of a vampire who wished to no longer exist. What did you mean and why did you think to come to us for this terrible task?"

"I, uh... well. Me. I should be gone, but the vampire who was suppose to be putting me out of my misery got… side-tracked somewhere along the way and left before he finished the job. So, now I'm a vampire when all I wanted was to be at peace."

Aro slid an arm around my shoulders and led me to a bench along the wall of the chamber to sit. "My dear, what could be so bad that you would want such a thing?" he asked, rubbing soothing circles on my back.

"He was my whole world. And he left. He abandoned me. I was just a plaything. A pet. And then... nothing." I sobbed shamelessly as I laid my heart bare for this strange vampire king.

"He was a fool, my dear. You are a treasure. A truly unique soul. Never have I met anyone like you and I assure, I have been around long enough to know things like this. Stay with us. Let me help you see what you can be. You can't give up on eternity because some fool made the worst mistake of his life."

"Why do you care what happens to me?" I sobbed into his shoulder as he held me tight.

"I think you have something special to offer this world, Isabella. You are light in the darkness. You obviously don't even realize how powerful you are."

"I am powerful? Among vampires? What do you mean?"

"Well, I cannot say for sure how you will develop with training, but you have a lot of potential. You are a shield, Isabella. Do you know what that means?" I shook my head without lifting it from his shoulder. I didn't know this vampire. He was a human-drinker and probably quite evil, but I couldn't resist the comfort he offered me, though I didn't know why.

"It means that your mind is shielded from the powers of others. You have a great defense in your strong mind. You can probably harness your power and use it to protect others. How does that sound to you? Would you like to be a protector?"

I thought for a moment. Did I? What did I want? I thought I knew. I thought I wanted to stop, but now I wasn't so sure. The world was different now. I was strong. Someone cared if I continued to exist, even if he might be evil. I might be able to protect others. "Maybe." I finally shrugged.

"Maybe is good. Let's get you a meal and a room. You should rest and think. You are safe here, Isabella. Whatever you choose, I want to help you. Okay?"

I nodded and lifted my head from his shoulder so he could stand. Before he had time to step away, I realized what he'd said and I couldn't help but wonder. "How do you know?"

"How do I know what, my dear?" He asked, turning back to me.

"How do you know I am a shield or whatever?"

"Because neither my power, nor apparently Jane's, work on you. Although, it was quite rude of her to even try to cause you pain."

"Cause me pain?"

"Jane can inflict physical pain from a distance by attacking an enemy's mind. It did not work on you because you are a shield."

It clicked then. If looks could kill, but hers could cause pain… "So when she looked at me like she wanted to kill me earlier, she was actually trying to use her power on me?"

"Yes. Fortunately it was unsuccessful because she is quite powerful."

"What is your power? If it's okay to ask..." I began to backpedal. Surely I was pushing my luck at this point.

"You may always ask whatever you like, Isabella. I will not promise to always answer, but on this, I will. My gift is the power to read your mind. Every thought you have ever had is mine to explore with the touch of my hand."

"Like Edward, then." I mumbled so softly I was surprised he heard me.

"Then you know the Cullens. I was wondering whether this notion of being vegetarian was Carlisle's doing. I will never understand that one." Aro's comment was stern, but his eyes showed humor at what he probably saw as a foolish lifestyle choice.

"Yes. I knew them once. Like you, Edward couldn't read my mind. I was a bit of a curiosity for him for a while. Like a science experiment. He couldn't figure me out. Eventually he got bored though."

"And he is the fool of which you spoke." It wasn't a question and I didn't respond. I only sank into myself a bit. I was beyond shame at this point. I was beyond giving a damn what anyone thought.

Aro stepped back to me, sitting again by my side, he put his arm back around my shoulders. "Then, he doesn't know you are no longer human?"

"I don't think so." I shrugged against his side. "I suppose it is possible. If my... what do you call the one who makes you?"

"Your sire? Does your sire know the Cullens?"

"Well, yes… sort of. I think he was living with the Denali clan at some point. He was also involved with another pair of mated vampires that tried to kill me once before." I admitted, knowing I'd be scarlet if my cheeks still had the ability to blush.

Aro's hand made soothing motions up and down my arm. "Dear child, how many vampires did you know as a human?"

"Well, I don't know… lots, I guess. The Cullens, so that's seven, and the three nomads, the mated pair and my… my sire are all the ones I actually met as a human. Of course, I heard of you and your brothers and the Denali clan in Alaska."

"Is my old friend Carlisle just filling in all the humans on our existence then?" Aro sounded very upset and I knew I'd said too much.

"No, no. It's not like that at all. It's just me. They said I was _observant_. Besides, I think Carlisle and the rest always assumed that _He_ would turn me, eventually. They couldn't know he would decide he didn't want me anymore…" My voice trailed off and I wished I could sink into the architecture of this beautiful place and just disappear forever. I seemed to only be talking myself into a hole. I knew there was only one rule and I was basically telling on them for violating it. I couldn't hate myself anymore than I did right then.

"Isabella, please go with Jane. She will show you to one of the guest suites. Settle in there and relax a bit. My brothers and I need to confer," he said, leading me back to the center of the room and the waiting vampire child.

"Please, this isn't Carlisle's fault," I began to beg. I came here for selfish reasons and now I realized I may have just put those I loved in danger.

"You would defend those who abandoned you?" Aro asked, staring at me incredulously.

"I-I loved them. They were nothing but kind to me... until they left, that is. Regardless, they only told me and now I am a vampire. So, everything is okay, right?" My voice was becoming whiny, but I was desperate to prevent causing them any pain or trouble on my account.

"Of course, dear Isabella. Go with Jane. She will find fresh clothes for you. Relax. We will talk again soon about training you to be a protector. Alright?" It seemed he was only trying to appease me but the thought he'd even bother to try was a comforting one to me at the moment.

I hung my head humbly and mumbled in agreement before turning to follow the little witch from the large chamber. I didn't know what would happen next, but I felt more at peace than before and I was grateful for that. Aro was a strange vampire. I couldn't understand why he'd care about me at all. Perhaps I could be valuable to him in some way. Surely that would be better. Anything would be better.

As I followed little Jane, I began to notice how dry the air was in the castle. It was almost uncomfortable. I was starting to get a bit thirsty though and I simply attributed my bad mood to that. I would have to speak with Aro about going out to hunt soon. I hoped he did not expect me to feed from humans. They were not at all appetizing. I knew he tolerated Carlisle's diet and I assumed he'd leave me be as well. For now, I just wanted to relax for a bit. I felt like I had been going nonstop since my transformation. While it is true that as a vampire I have no need to sleep or rest, I was looking forward to simply being still for a moment.

Jane led me into a huge suite of rooms. Just inside the door, there was a small sitting area with a lovely green couch and low table. On the far side of the room, there was a beautiful, spacious bedroom area. There was an enormous canopy bed, set up on a platform. It was adorned with cool blues and greens and looked very inviting. Just beyond the bed was a window that looked out onto the city. It was a spectacular view. Off to the left side of the bedroom was a large walk-in closet. It was filled with fine women's clothing.

Before I could ask, Jane informed me, "There are various sizes. This room is setup for a female guest. I am sure there is something there that you can wear. The bathroom is over there," she indicated with a wave to the right. "You may want to bathe and change your clothes. You smell a bit... fishy. Leave your clothes outside the bathroom door and I'll make sure they are taken care of."

From her tone, I would assume 'taken care of' really meant burned. I looked down at myself and realized she was right. I looked pretty rough, even by my tomboy-ish standards. I nodded at her and she turned to leave.

I began to dig through the clothing looking for something to wear after my bath. It looked like there were dresses of multiple sizes and colors from several different centuries of styles. Of course there was nothing I would ever normally pick out, but beggars can't be choosers. I finally settled on a plainer looking soft blue dress. At least it wasn't a fancy gown, but it was still really too beautiful for me. I hoped it would truly be okay to borrow.

I made my way to the bathroom and decided to draw a warm bath. I had grown so accustomed to being in the ocean, I was feeling a bit... well, dried out.

I relaxed into the water and felt oddly at home soaking in the large claw-footed tub. It was so strange to be here. I had never expected the hospitality I'd been shown. The King of the Vampires had actually shown an interest in me. That, in itself, was unreal, but what I couldn't really wrap my mind around was why I cared what the evil human-drinker thought. I couldn't understand why I would find comfort in his interest.

I shook the annoying questions from my head and allowed my body to sink completely below the water. I noticed that the water had a muting effect on my too sensitive vampire hearing and I found the sensation soothing. Closing my eyes and relaxing my body it was the closest I felt to sleep since that bastard sire of mine damned me to this existence. It seemed that no matter what I tried to plan, this world was not giving me up easily. It was time to stop fighting whatever this force, call it fate or destiny or whatever, is and embrace wherever the path may lead.

Having decided to just embrace it all, I felt better. I was a new woman, beginning a new adventure. I climbed out of the water and dressed quickly, anxious to find out what would happen next.


	4. Ch 4 Planning The Next Step

Chapter 4 Planning The Next Step

Aro practically collapsed onto his throne. It had been an exasperating day. First, in walks one of the most beautiful creatures he had ever laid eyes on wanting his help. A siren or a goddess, perhaps. The sight of those amazing blue eyes had lent weight to the argument his other senses made that she was indeed a vampire. Could this vision truly be one of his kind? Remarkable.

Then, to have such a power. A shield that neither he nor Jane could penetrate. If only he could convince her to join the guard. What an advantage she would be. Only then to find out she is mortally depressed because of that fool Carlisle considers a son.

And to top it all, his dear, if not wayward, friend seemed to be in violation of the most basic of laws by allowing his pathetic, self-loathing child to take, and then abandon, a human pet! It was utterly outrageous.

"Brother, you know this must be dealt with. The Cullens are not above our laws," Caius pulled Aro from his silent musing with his sneering remark.

"I am aware. We will deal with that in due time. There are more pressing matters to discuss first," Aro responded as calmly as he could. His patience with his snide brother was wearing thin as of late.

"Like what?" Caius snapped back.

"Like," Marcus responded in an attempt to keep the peace, "Our dear brother's immediate and powerful connection to this new blue-eyed visitor, for one."

"You cannot be serious, Aro! She just arrived. She's a complete wreck and her ideals have been obviously corrupted by that silly Cullen boy. A vegetarian, of all things!" Caius was beyond disgusted with Aro at this point. He would never understand why the Cullens were allowed to live as they did. It was unnatural and something should have been done to correct the oversight long ago.

"Please calm yourself, Caius. I am afraid that our dear Marcus may be over estimating or misconstruing my interest. I will not deny her beauty but you must see that the tactical advantages of keeping her here and happy are worth the trouble she may be."

"You are always _collecting_," Caius shot back, making the word sound like an extremely offensive vulgarity.

Before the brothers could argue further, Jane slipped back into the throne room and Aro stood to meet her.

"How is our guest settling in, my dear little one?" he asked, although he didn't need to as he grasped her hand.

"She is bathing," Jane responded unnecessarily.

"Ah, you do not care for young Isabella. Do you, my dear?"

"I can't say that I am particularly interested in her one way or another, Master," Jane responded in an attempt to be noncommittal, but her voice betrayed her annoyance. She wasn't fooling anyone.

"Still... perhaps you would prefer I send someone else with her to hunt?" Aro asked.

"You can't mean... animals? That's disgusting!" Jane made a face befitting of her apparent age.

"As I thought," Aro sighed letting his disappointment show in his tone. "Alec, if you would?"

"Yes, Master," Alec responded as if he were bored before heading out to find Isabella.

"Now, Jane. My dearest. Why can you not be more open to her? What is really bothering you?" Aro asked, kneeling down to speak to his favorite.

He really wanted her to feel his fondness for her. As much as he found himself drawn to Isabella, Jane had been his favorite for centuries and that fact was not changing now. He needed her to know that.

"She is just so unworthy..." Jane began before Aro interrupted her.

"You know there is no need to be jealous. You are and always will be my favorite." He'd not really meant to admit it aloud in the middle of court in front of the others, but it was really no secret and there was no taking it back. No one seemed particularly surprised to hear him say it anyway.

"It's not that, Master. Thank you. I am loyal to you as always and for forever. Whatever you command of me, whether I like it or not, I will always do. But that is not what I mean about Isabella. She obviously has great power and she is so beautiful and all she wants to do is throw it all away! And for what? Because Edward the idiot Cullen doesn't _love_ her? Could she have possibly fallen for a more pathetic excuse for a vampire?"

"Well, my dear, you should remember that even that depressed, self-hating excuse for an immortal would be appealing to a simple human. She has not yet seen him with her new eyes."

"I suppose that is true. He must really have done a number on her for her to doubt herself so. They call us monsters for feeding on humans, but we do not destroy them the way he has this one."

"It is true. She does not see herself. Jane, will you help me? Help me to help her see that she _is_ worthy?"

"I will always work to help you, Master. If you want her, I promise to get her for you. No matter what," Jane vowed.

"I knew I could count on you, my dearest. And who knows? Perhaps you will benefit as well."

Aro's cryptic response made Jane a little uncomfortable. She could not imagine any benefit to her for helping this girl except for pleasing Aro and that was enough for her.

"Aro," Caius called the leader's attention back to the thrones. "Now may we discuss Carlisle's indiscretion?"

"Yes, brother. Of course. Let's call Carlisle here to explain his side of things. I do not want Edward here, however. We will have enough difficulty with Isabella without that one making things worse."

The outer chamber door opened and Gianna stepped gingerly through, a phone in her hand.

"Please forgive me, Masters, but Dr. Cullen is on the line." Her fear was palpable in the air. It was quite unlike her to enter the throne room at all despite her protected status among the court.

"Calm yourself, Gianna, and bring me the phone," Aro encouraged her.

She slipped slowly and carefully toward Aro. The moment the phone was in his hand, she turned and fled the room. She knew better than most that not many humans ever leave this room alive and she was less than confident in her place among the immortals.

Aro chuckled as he watched her go. The girl's fear might not be misplaced. She had shown little promise in her time here.

"Carlisle, I was just thinking of you my friend," Aro spoke into the phone.

Every immortal in the room could easily hear his response, "Yes, Aro. Alice informed me that you wished for me to come to Italy but she didn't seem to know the specific reason for your request. What is it that you need of me?"

"Ah, of course, young Alice. But she did not see why we are requesting your presence?"

"No, and she is a bit concerned. Something seems to be interring with her gift."

"I can sympathize," Aro mumbled.

"What do you mean?"

"Another time, my friend. Please come to Volterra for a short visit, won't you?" Aro's tone made it clear that this was not the request it might have sounded like. There would be no choice for Carlisle to make. He would come, whether he wanted to or not.

"I believe I can manage some time off work. We will catch the first flight out."

"Please forgive this rudeness but the invitation is only for you, Carlisle. There are things we need to discuss. Afterward, perhaps _some_ of your family might be able to join us."

"I can't imagine why you would bar my family from your city. Have we offended you in some way?"

"They may come to the city but until we have spoken, they will not be permitted in the castle. My reasons will be clear to you soon." Aro's tone left no room for discussion.

"I am anxious to find out what this is all about, Aro. I trust all will turn out well in the end?" Carlisle could not hide a hint of worry from his voice.

"All will be as it should be, my old friend." With that, Aro hung up the phone. He'd comforted Carlisle more than he already should have in his brothers' presence. He could not afford to show favoritism in this matter. He felt bad for making Carlisle so nervous but mostly he was fascinated in Alice's apparent blind spot.

"It must be Isabella," Caius answered Aro's silent musing. "Nothing else has changed. I wonder if she could see her when she was still human. Isabella said she was immune to Edward's power while she was still human."

"There was no way to ask without giving her away. I'm afraid we have already made them quite nervous."

"I am not concerned with _Carlisle Cullen's_ comfort level," Caius sneered.

"Yes, but perhaps we would do well to begin exploring Isabella's talent as soon as she returns from her hunt," Marcus added.

"I agree. Jane dear, please go wait for your brother and Isabella to return and bring them straight here. Do not mention the Cullens. I want to see how she reacts to that news personally."

"Yes, Master," Jane replied before taking her leave.

"I think it is wise to be a bit circumnavigational with that information. It may be that she would want revenge, if we play things right," Caius advised.

"I do not believe that will be the case. For Edward, perhaps, she might be manipulated to hate, but Isabella is truly a light. I do not believe vengeance will ever be something she will seek," Marcus added.

"I believe you are wise in that assumption, brother. Though it would be easier..." Aro trailed off.

"Yes, it would," Caius agreed and decided it would not hurt to try to bring the girl around to his way of thinking.


	5. Ch 5 An Adventure Alleviates The Boredom

Chapter 5 An Adventure Alleviates the Boredom

A/N: This chapter is dedicated to xXMizz Alec VolturiXx for suggesting Alec as a primary character. I hadn't thought of him until she mentioned him, so here's some credit where credit is due. I've had a lot of fun reading up on Alec and getting to know this slightly lesser known character a little better. This chapter certainly wouldn't have been so interesting to write without him, and I only hope I've done him justice. So, thanks, dear!

This story is also currently without a beta, so if you see mistakes, feel free to let me know. I write fan fiction to practice and improve my writing (and also b/c it's so much fun) and I appreciate any feedback or comments anyone has.

Legal: I always seem to forget this part, even though I never mean to. The Twilight world belongs exclusively to Ms. Stephenie Meyer. I hope she doesn't mind me playing with her people a little, I promise to always put them back in the same condition I found them in. :)

I opened my bedroom door, having decided to explore the castle. Before I could step out, I was met by a very handsome young vampire. Well, he looked young anyway. I supposed there was really no way to tell a vampire's age based on looks.

"I'm Alec. Master Aro asked me to take you hunting."

I hadn't noticed until he mentioned it, but I was thirsty.

"Okay, let's go!" I told him, enthusiastic to go exploring.

He turned to lead me out, looking rather bored at the prospect. Maybe he was a really old vampire, despite his appearance, and had already seen everything. At this point, I couldn't care less. It was nice, actually. Not being stared at and asked a million questions. I had worried, when I realized I had agreed to stay here, that it would be like my first day at Forks High School all over again. I would be a curiosity, a freak to be stared at. Only this time, instead of the pale new kid from Arizona, I was the blue-eyed vampire. Why couldn't I just blend in for once? Another concession fate didn't seem to want to allow me.

I decided right then that I liked Alec. We had walked in absolute silence for at least ten minutes already and he'd not once felt the need to make idle chitchat to fill the silence. This was my kind of vampire. Unless he turned out to be evil, I amended.

After walking quietly for another few minutes, we emerged into an open courtyard, facing a forest. The night air was crisp and I could smell the sea. I realized that I missed it. I had spent my first months as a vampire in the oceans and the feel of the gentle tides rocking me was a luxurious memory.

My guide finally turned and spoke to me. "What's your favorite?"

He was a man of few words, and I liked that, but I need a few more this time. "My favorite, what?"

"Animal or whatever... Your favorite food?"

"Oh! Well, I don't know. I've never eaten an animal, not since I died anyway."

"You're not dead, Isabella," he said in an exasperated tone.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you."

He gave me a small smile and a soft chuckle escaped his lips. It was a nice sound. I looked into those crimson eyes and I found myself hoping he wasn't evil... Although, I wasn't really sure why.

"What have you been eating?" The familiar phrase in such a familiar tone of wonder gave me pause.

Then I found myself smiling, and I think I might have even giggled. That was a first. I couldn't remember feeling so light in, well, ever.

"What?" Alec asked me, a confused look marring his brow.

"I'm sorry. It was just, well, Jane asked me the exact same thing earlier in the exact same tone. I don't know why it struck me as funny, but it did."

"Well, I'm not surprised. She is my sister, after all."

"Your sister? Really? Like Alice and Edward or..." I trailed off, realizing I'd actually said his name again.

I searched myself for the hole or the pain, but I couldn't find either.

I looked up to see Alec staring at me curiously.

"No, not like that. We're twins."

"You don't look like twins."

"Well, of course not. We're not identical twins."

"No, I mean you look older than her."

"I am, by a few minutes, anyway."

"No, I mean she looks like a little girl, but you look..." I trailed off again, not sure what else to say without embarrassing myself.

Thankfully, Alec didn't seem to feel the need to press me further.

"So what do you eat if not animals or humans?" he asked, changing the subject.

"The only thing I've eaten as a vampire is fish."

"Fish?"

I ducked my head and turned away, embarrassed. Then I caught myself. Old Bella was bashful. I was a new Isabella. I was stronger. I could be bold. I turned back and looked straight into his crimson eyes.

"Yes, fish."

"Well, that's new."

And for the first time since he'd come to my door, he actually looked interested. I'd brought something new into this who-knows-how-old vampire's life. It made me feel good. Confident. I liked making him perk up a bit. Even if he was evil. Which I hoped he wasn't.

"So do you want to go all the way to the sea?"

I found myself very excited by the idea of it. I missed the water so much.

"Is it too far?"

"Not if we run as fast as we can."

I nodded my head and he surprised me by taking my hand.

"Try to keep up," he told me before he took off running, dragging me along behind.

I almost ran ahead of him, but I slowed my pace. I didn't want to make him feel bad, but I definitely could have run faster. After what seemed like moments, he was pulling us to a stop.

As I stared out at that blue wonderland, I took a deep breath and enjoyed the gentle sting of salt in the air. I kicked off the ballet flats I'd found earlier in my closet and buried my toes in the wet sand. I had missed this so much.

I let out a happy sigh and realized that Alec was still holding my hand. When I looked up at him, he looked over at me. He'd been staring out at the sea too.

"Want to go swimming?" I asked, giving him my most mischievous smile.

"I don't know how," he confessed quietly, for once looking a bit like the boy he must have been when he was turned. I wondered how old he had been and who his sire was. Why would anyone turn him and Jane so young?

"Doesn't matter," I told him, squeezing his hand gently. "We don't breathe anyway."

I giggled and I thought I heard him chuckle too, but it could've been my imagination being too hopeful. The breeze coming off the sea whipped my hair around my face, bringing more of that delicious scent my way. I realized then that I was really, really thirsty.

"You don't have to come, but I need to hunt. So, I'm going in, okay?"

He grasped my hand a little tighter and took a deep, unneeded breath, letting it out slowly before walking into the surf and bringing me with him.

"Show me how it's done, Mistress of the Sea," he said, releasing my hand when we were about waist deep and letting me take the lead.

I smiled at him and stepped out into the water, sinking quickly below the surface as the shelf fell away beneath our feet. I glanced back to see Alec walking calmly behind me, his soft brown hair creating a flowing halo as the water moved around him. Surely he couldn't be evil, right?

I smiled and began to scent the water. There was a shark not too far out and to my right. I supposed I'd have an answer for his favorite food question once we resurfaced and had air to talk again.

I felt him keeping his distance behind me as I swam after my prey. Whether he was having trouble keeping up or just letting me have room to hunt, I wasn't sure. It occurred to me then, that I'd never eaten in front of an audience before. I hope it wasn't disgusting to him.

I caught my shark and drained it quickly, shredding it to bits before grabbing a nearby squid and taking my fill while being careful to avoid the mess. I floated around for a moment just enjoying the rhythmic movement of the water when I noticed Alec doing something off to my left.

Looking over at him, it took me a minute to figure out what he was doing. The silly boy had grabbed a crab and looked like he was trying to eat it. All he was accomplishing was biting little holes in its hard shell and getting his hair pulled by its claws.

I laughed, but all that came out was air bubbles. It was enough to get his attention though and he gave me a very annoyed look. I swam over to him, grabbing a small yellow fish on my way. I took his now completely crushed crab and offered him the fish. He gave me a wary look but finally shrugged his shoulders and tried it.

He bit down and drew on it for a minute, draining the little creature before looking up at me with a small, but genuine smile. It was one I hoped to see more often. I returned his smile and tugged at his shirt tail to get him to follow me back toward the shore.

I was a little surprised when I realized that I knew exactly which way to go without much thought. We had gone pretty far into the water. Maybe it was the currents that clued me in to which way to go. Now that I really thought about it, it was a wonder that I had made it so far—from Forks, Washington, all the way around the Southern Cone, and back up to Italy without stopping for directions once. I laughed silently at my own little joke. I liked being in the water. I knew that for sure.

As we came out of the water, I noticed Alec was walking funny and staring at his shoes.

"What's wrong?"

"It's uncomfortable."

"What?"

"Being so... wet," he whined, holding his soaked sneakers up off the ground to let some of the water run out.

I doubled over with laughter. I couldn't help myself. He was so adorable all soaked to the bone. He gave me a warning glance, but where he probably intended malice, it only came across as pitiful and it made me laugh harder. He was not scary-looking at all, but I could tell that was what he'd been going for.

Before I had a chance to react, he growled and launched himself at me, tackling me into the surf. With his weight landing on top of me, I started to get a little scared. Maybe I shouldn't be laughing at vampires I barely know. I was hoping he wouldn't hit me or something when he did the last thing I expected and started tickling me.

"I'll give you something to laugh at, Isabella, oh mighty queen of the deep blue sea," he threatened and wouldn't let up until I was laughing so hard my sides started hurting and I was begging for mercy.

After what seemed like an eternity, he finally got off of me and helped me to my feet. He was smiling at me when I looked up. Staring into those deep crimson eyes, I thought they were a little more burgundy than before, perhaps a little bit of a purple tinge. Probably just my imagination, but one thing was for sure, I was thoroughly dazzled.

"You're okay," he finally said, breaking my gaze and stepping away, only to return a moment later with my ballet slippers.

He knelt at my feet and offered me one of my shoes. "Okay, Sea Princess, slip your royal feet in. I need to get you back to the castle before Master Aro thinks I've run off with you and sends Demetri after my ass."

I thought it was probably the most I'd heard him speak at once and I found myself wondering how I could get him to talk more. I liked hearing his voice.

As I let him help me into my shoes, I couldn't help but ask, "What in the world made you try to eat that crab?"

When he looked up at me after slipping my other shoe on, he looked angry and embarrassed.

"Like I know anything about seafood," he mumbled under his breath.

When he stood up beside me, I placed a hand on each of his shoulders and looked into his eyes so he'd know I was serious.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to embarrass you. I was just curious. I just want to know more about you."

"Don't tell them, okay?"

"I won't. Be honest though, what did you think of the yellow fish?"

"It was different, a little tart."

"You like different," I told him with conviction.

"Yes, I do," he admitted.

"Next time, you'll have to try the shark. It's my favorite."

He smiled and grabbed my hand before starting our run back to the castle. I wasn't sure why, but the trip seemed a lot longer than it had coming out. As the air got less and less salty, I became a bit morose. I did so love the water and I hated leaving it behind for the strange dry castle.

I almost wished I'd never come up to Volterra and simply stayed in the sea forever. _Almost._ I thought to myself, squeezing Alec's hand softly as we slowed down to reenter the courtyard.

–

E/N: Okay xMAVx, I'm still making no promises, but trying to see where the story leads. Hope you liked this chapter.

Thanks to everyone for reading!


	6. Ch 6 The Law

**Chapter 6 The Law**

A/N: I think I may have stolen a bit more from movie canon than book canon in this chapter, but I hope it still works okay. I welcome all comments, as usual. =)

Thanks for the beta work, Reka! Your comments were very helpful. I love ya, girl!

Legal: Twilight and all related characters are the inspired creation of Stephenie Meyer and belong entirely to her. I am just a crazy fan playing around with no rights or profits, but lots of ideas. =)

Jane met Alec and me as we stepped into the courtyard. She said that Master Aro had asked for me and I was to head straight to the throne room.

She gave her brother a strange look, like she was trying to figure out what was wrong with him. It must have been me because her calculating glare caused him to drop my hand immediately. I had forgotten he'd only taken my hand as we headed out in order to lead me. His sister obviously didn't like me and I doubted Alec really did either. He was just taking me hunting, as Master Aro had asked.

Now I was referring to him as Master Aro. It seemed strange to my 21st century mind, but it felt right in a way that must have come from becoming one of them. I wondered what it would be like to say it out loud, but I doubted I'd have to wonder for long as we approached the huge set of doors that marked the entrance to the throne room.

Alec took a quicker step as Jane reached the doors to put himself beside her when they entered. It felt strange but was probably just the politics of things. He could be nice to me if we were alone; otherwise I was the unknown troubled vampire girl that no one would associate with in public. A freak. Again.

As we stepped through the door, the brothers were standing together, toward the middle of the room. They seemed to be deep in their conversation and barely spared a glance when I walked in. I wasn't sure what to do or even where to stand. I glanced around the room. Jane and Alec had moved far away along the wall to my right, almost up to the platform on which stood the thrones. They were now whispering to each other too low to hear, an obvious attempt at privacy. I couldn't just follow them.

My eyes found Felix, not too far from me on the left wall. He gave me a small smile when he saw me looking at him but made no move to invite me to him or to come toward me. There were a few other vampires scattered about the room, but none that I knew yet.

So I just stood by the door and tried to ignore all the curious looks. I had always hated being the center of attention and even in a sparsely populated room, standing near the door, I felt like I was being ogled. It must be my weird eyes. Actually, I hoped it was the eyes. Otherwise, they were staring because I was the unwanted reject who had come to plead for my own death. I really knew how to stand out for someone who hated standing out.

I was so engrossed in my own thoughts, I didn't notice when Felix finally approached me until he was right beside me and touched my shoulder to get my attention, effectively startling the hell out of me and causing me to jump. Yep, it must be that inability of mine to blend in.

"I'm sorry, Isabella. Are you alright?" he asked softly, like he was trying not to call any more attention to me.

"Yes, fine. I'm sorry. I was a bit lost in thought."

"How long have you been a vampire?" His question caught me off-guard. I'd not really thought much about it.

"What is the date?" I asked.

"The date? You mean the year?"

"No, the date. I'm not _that_ old."

"You mean to tell me that you have been a vampire for less than one year?" he asked, his voice getting a little too loud for my comfort.

"Um, yeah. A few months, I think. Honestly, I haven't been keeping up with time all that well, but if you could tell me the date," I trailed off because the look on his face was unusual. He looked sort of surprised. It was a bit amusing to see such an expression on his face. So far, most of the vampires around here showed little or no emotion on their faces.

At this point, I glanced around the room and realized that I not only had the attention of every single vampire in the room, including the brothers, most of them wore matching expressions to Felix's one of surprise. What had I done wrong? Was I too young by vampire standards to be here or something?

Aro slowly approached me and took my hand, probably out of habit, before looking into my eyes.

"You were made a vampire only a few months ago, Isabella?"

"I believe so. I mean I went straight into the ocean once I woke up. I was afraid I might hurt humans if I stayed on land."

"So you woke alone and ran into the ocean to avoid humans. Remarkable. You never cease to surprise me, young one, and that is no easy task for a vampire as old as I."

"Why is everyone looking at me like that?" I whispered, not that it did any good. I knew they could all hear me because once I asked, most of them looked away immediately.

"They are impressed with your control, my dear. It is unheard of in one so young."

"My control?"

"Newborns, that is vampires less than a year or two old, normally have a very hard time concentrating and adjusting to their new lives. Most are almost feral for a while. To be only a few months old, so to speak, and be able to stand here calmly having a conversation with me is a feat in itself."

He seemed to remember something, as he dropped my hand and headed toward the twins on the other side of the room. I looked back at Felix and found him still standing nearby.

"I'm sorry," I told him quietly.

"Isabella, you don't have anything to be sorry for. It's just a bit… Well, it's unbelievable really. Have you tested your strength?"

"Well, I tore up a few trees when I first came to shore. Just to see if I could," I admitted.

"I bet you could do some serious damage if you wanted to. We are always strongest in our newborn phase, but no one ever has the consciousness of mind to put the strength to good use. Maybe we can try some things later, see if you're stronger than me."

He had that look in his eye. It reminded me of when Emmett wanted to play Xbox.

"Me? Stronger than you? Yeah, right," I chuckled at him.

He just smiled knowingly. I wasn't sure if I should be afraid or not, but his smile made me want to trust him. I found myself hoping another of these human-drinkers wasn't evil, but I was prepared to be disappointed. After all, they killed to eat.

Of course, I guess I wasn't really a vegetarian either, but still, my food wasn't sentient, right?

"Isabella," Aro called my attention back to him and waved me over to join him. He had Alec's hand and I imagined he was reliving our hunting trip.

Oh no! I hoped he wouldn't tell on Alec either.

The other brothers had taken their places back on their thrones, as I approached Aro and offered him my hand. He smiled, released Alec's hand, and took mine gently. I was beginning to hope he just did it because he wanted to touch me. It was a silly thought, but truth be told, it was his interest in me that kept me from feeling so broken, even if I didn't know what kind of interest it was yet. He was interesting and I was curious.

"Even when you hunt, as unusual of a way as it is, you are very controlled and relaxed. It makes me wonder what else we have yet to learn about your powers, dear one."

"Aro," Caius called his attention from me. "Back to the matter at hand, dear brother?"

The reminder was a gentle one, but when I felt Aro's grip on my hand increase minutely, I wondered if he wasn't annoyed by it. Turning back to me, he smiled before releasing my hand and moving back to sit on his throne.

"Isabella," Aro began, once he'd sat down. "Do you know why my brothers and I are here? Do you know what we do?"

"You enforce the law," I answered, remembering Edward's explanation and taking a moment to marvel at being able to remember him without breaking down.

"That is correct. And do you know what laws we enforce?"

"That we keep the secret of our existence from humans."

"You were a very well informed human, weren't you, Isabella?" Caius asked me.

I just nodded. It would not be wise to argue with them. They had all the power here and I knew it.

"Do you understand why this is so very important?" Aro asked me.

"Most humans would be afraid," I responded, allowing for myself not having been the most usual human.

"And what do scared humans tend to do?"

"Fight."

"That's right. And if humans decided to fight us, what would happen?"

"They would die." To me, it was a fact. There was no way humans could stand a chance against vampires in a fight. It wasn't like they could just shoot them. They'd be defenseless.

"We are not the cruel monsters you've been led to believe, Isabella. We do not want to kill humans. We feed as we must, but we do so sensibly," Caius told me.

He was right. They weren't evil. If anything, they were just keeping the peace. Of course, if they didn't scare other vampires, how would they keep them in line? They were like my dad in that way. He didn't want to hurt anyone, but he had to carry a gun to enforce the law.

"Now, my dear, I'm sure you see why what the Cullens did cannot go unaddressed," Aro spoke carefully, as if he were addressing an angry bear instead of my small form.

They were afraid of my temper now that they knew how young I was. I searched myself, but I found nothing to provoke such a reaction. I wondered how I could put them at ease.

"What will you do?" I asked in the softest tone of voice I could manage.

"We will invite Carlisle here to speak to him," Aro began before I interrupted him.

"Then he's on his way already," I told him frankly.

"What makes you say that?" Aro asked warily.

I wanted to put them at ease and here I was interrupting him. Maybe I wasn't thinking clearly after all.

"I'm sorry for interrupting."

"That's quite all right, my dear. What makes you think he is already on his way?"

"Once you decided to invite him, Alice would see it, and then he would come. Or at least call."

"Ah yes, of course. Alice. That reminds me; you told us that Edward could not read your mind when you were human. Could Alice see visions of you?"

"Yes, she always could," I answered, processing what that meant to me personally. She would have seen me become vampire. They would already know. But they did not try to stop it or come find me. They really didn't care. None of them. They let me come here and beg for death. I had decided way back in Forks, surely she had seen me choose.

"Well, perhaps now that your shield is stronger she won't be able to. It will be interesting to find out."

"You want me here when they come?"

"Perhaps, let's discuss that closer to the time of their arrival."

"What will you do to them?"

"Justice must be served," Caius snapped.

This was my fault. They might not care for me, but I still cared for them. They certainly didn't deserve to die because of me. I fell to my knees before the three vampire leaders.

"Please, this is my fault. And there's no harm done. I am a vampire and I told no one."

Aro stood from his throne and walked down to me, gathering me off the floor and into his arms.

"Calm, Isabella. You are right, there was no harm done, but this sets a bad precedence and cannot be allowed to go unpunished."

"But this is my fault. I'm the one that figured out what he was. He didn't just come out and tell me. Besides, it's not Carlisle's fault. If anyone, Edward…" I trailed off. As much as he'd hurt me, I didn't want Edward to be at their mercy either.

"Some punishment must be made, Isabella. Carlisle is the leader of their coven. He is responsible for them," Caius said as he joined us in the center of the room and looked at me sympathetically. I wasn't sure what I had done to deserve his sympathy.

"What if I take the punishment?"

"You would _sacrifice_ yourself to save those who hurt you?" Aro asked, a confused look marring his brow.

"Isabella, they broke you. They cast you aside and you defend them, time and again. Why?" Caius asked, offering comfort with a touch of his hand to my shoulder.

"They are, were," I corrected myself, "my family. I love them."

"You are truly a light, but your gifts are too valuable," Aro began before I interrupted him again.

"Then let me serve you, for as long as you want. If my gifts are valuable, I can provide their use to the Volturi and work to help uphold the law."

Caius smiled and nodded, before touching Aro's arm, laid bare where he was holding me up off the floor.

"Very well, Isabella," Aro said, in apparent agreement with whatever silent thought his brother sent him.

Aro sat me back on my feet and returned to his throne, as did Caius.

"We will call Carlisle here to talk, nothing more. You will serve the guard as my shield. Do you agree?"

I smiled. I had done something right for once and prevented harm coming to those I loved, even if they didn't care for me.

"Yes, Master," I told Aro, bowing my head to show respect. It hadn't sounded as weird on my tongue as I had expected it to.

"Very well," Marcus began, in his typical monotone voice. "Then let us see what kind of power the little one possesses, shall we?"


	7. Ch 7 The Shield

**Chapter 7 The Shield**

A/N: Thanks for the notes, Reka. You're the best! ;)

R/R: All feedback, even and especially criticism, is welcome and appreciated!

Legal: It ain't mine! Thanks, Stephenie! =)

~xoxo~

"Very well," Marcus began, in his typical monotone voice. "Then let us see what kind of power the little one possesses, shall we?"

"She is obviously a shield, but I believe she should be able to share it," Aro said.

"Then, how do we test the theory?" Caius asked. "Have her try to shield someone?"

"That would seem the easiest way. Felix, please come here. Stand by Isabella," Aro directed.

Felix came and stood beside me, towering over me with his great height.

"What do I do?" I asked.

"Your shield exists around your mind, Isabella. Try to feel it."

I explored the feelings within me, but I didn't know what of all the sensations to associate with my shield.

"I don't know how."

"Jane, try your power against her again. Isabella, while she is doing that, see if you can feel what she is trying to do."

"You want me to try to feel her power?"

"Try to feel its effect on your shield."

"Okay," I responded warily before turning my attention to Jane. "Hit me with your best shot."

She grinned before narrowing her eyes at me. I focused on trying to feel any change, but there was nothing. Then I decided to try and see if I could feel her power if I wanted to.

That, it turned out, was a mistake, because I succeeded. Unimaginable pain shot through me and I collapsed to my knees, screaming.

"Jane, stop!" I heard Aro call, but she had already.

I knew she was no longer trying to hurt me, but the memory of the pain was slow to fade as I lay on the floor trying to regain my senses. After a second I tried to stand, but felt myself falling before I could gain my balance. Felix reached out and grabbed me before I fell again.

"Isabella, are you alright? Did she break you?" Felix sounded genuinely concerned as he cradled me to his chest.

"I'm okay, I think," I told him as I tried again to get my feet my under me. He kept his hold on my arms, just to be safe. "I felt it! I moved it!" I got excited when it finally dawned on me why I was in such pain.

At this point, Felix was chuckling. Most of the others looked concerned. Aro looked... Proud? But Jane looked guilty. That was not the expression I was expecting from her. Happy or smug, but not like she felt bad for hurting me. Could it be possible that none of these human-drinkers were evil, or even _mean_ at all?

None of these had hurt me. The ones who had hurt me were the _good_ ones. I think my definition ofgood and evil has turned on its head since I arrived in Italy. Nothing was what I expected it to be at all.

I pulled away from Felix's grasp, surprising the both of us with my strength, and ran toward Jane. Alec must have thought I meant to hurt her because he stepped in front of her in a crouch and narrowed his eyes at me. I stopped immediately, realizing everyone thought I meant revenge on Jane when I'd only meant to comfort her and assure I was okay.

Then I felt a silky fog moving over my body. It tickled and pushed at my newly discovered shield.

"What is that?" I asked in amazement.

Alec just stared for another moment, and then the feeling retreated and he stood back up.

"You stopped."

"Of course I stopped. You obviously thought I was attacking her."

"You weren't?"

"No, well, I mean I can see why you would think that, but I swear that's not what I meant." 

"But you threw off Felix and ran at her after she hurt you. What were you doing if not seeking revenge?"

His eyes bore into mine with an intense curiosity that seemed more like one of Aro's looks than his own. As I stared for another second I realized, his eyes _were_ a little bit purple around the edges. That made me remember why and I gave a small chuckle that I am sure sounded out of place to the situation, but I couldn't help myself. He disarmed me without ever meaning to. It was too easy to just be happy around Alec.

"She looked like she was upset that she'd gotten through. I don't know exactly what I would have done if I'd gotten to her, but it would have been closer to a hug than a punch, I promise."

"After I did that to you, you were planning to hug me?" Jane finally spoke up. "I can't say I've ever had that particular reaction to my power before."

"I'm sorry," I couldn't tell if she was mad at me or just amused by me. "I just didn't want you to feel bad. It wasn't your fault. I was the one who moved my shield."

"Master Aro is right about you," she said with a small smile before turning and placing a hand on her brother's shoulder.

He looked at her for a moment and I don't know what he saw in her expression, because her back was to me, but it must have been something good because he gave me my favorite smile and his body relaxed a bit.

"Isabella," Aro called me back to the center of the room and the waiting Felix. "I know it is not easy to concentrate, you are so very young, but do you think we can try again?"

"Yes, Master. Now that I know what it is, I think I can move it more easily."

I returned to Felix and took his hands in mine, looking up into his eyes.

"Hang on a second, let me try this, okay? Just stay still."

He became a statue under my hands as I felt inside and found my shield. In the same way I felt it move earlier, I stretched and pushed it toward him. When my shield covered him entirely, I felt the strangest tingly sensation before I distinctly heard him say, "I hope this works. I've felt Jane's power before and I do not want to feel it again."

I looked up at him and gave him a small smile. "We can always have Alec try instead of Jane, if that would make you feel better."

"That's exactly what I was thinking," he responded with a huge smile.

That was what he was thinking? He said that out loud, right? I took a deep breath and double-checked the shield to make sure it was covering both of us.

"Okay, Alec. Give it a shot," I called to him.

Within a fraction of a second, I felt the silky fog of his power press against my shield. I'd have to ask him later what it did when it worked. For now, I glanced up to check on Felix.

He looked normal, but then I started feeling tingly again and I distinctly heard him say, "I wish Alec would hurry up, so we can get on to some fun training. I bet she has a hell of right hook." But he didn't say it because I was staring right at his mouth and it hadn't moved.

I was reading his mind! Could he read mine in here? I decided to try it. I thought at him, "Felix, can you hear me?"

He made no response, in his thoughts or his face and I knew it was just me. Hmm, this was going to be interesting.

I felt Alec draw his power away and I released Felix's hands and pulled back my shield.

"So, it works? You can share it," Aro said, sounding very excited by the news.

"There's a little more to it than that, Master," I told him with a smile.

"What do you mean, my child?" He had that look on his face, I'd piqued his curiosity again.

Walking over to him, I placed my hands in his.

"Ready?" I asked, excitement lacing my voice.

"For what?" he asked.

"Just this," I said before moving my shield away from my mind. I knew it had worked immediately because his face lit up.

"Isabella!"

"One more thing," I told him, before slipping my shield around his mind.

Where Felix's thoughts had brought on a tingly sensation, Aro's were like an explosion. I dropped to my knees with the intensity of it all. So many thoughts being shared, back and forth. I could only do it for a moment before it became too much and my shield popped back in place.

He knew so much. He'd experienced so much in his long life. And the lives and memories of all those he'd touched were there too. I'd only gotten a small taste, but it was enough to know I was hooked. I wanted to know everything he knew.

My head fell into his lap, I was exhausted and exhilarated, all at once. I didn't even know vampires could get tired, but I felt very tired at the moment. Then I felt his hands petting my head and I wasn't quite so tired anymore. I was just happy and excited. This discovery meant a whole new life for me. I hoped he'd let me do it again.

I finally lifted my head to look up at him and he was staring at me with awe.

"That was something we will have to explore further, my dear. If you'd be willing."

"And eager, Master," I responded honestly and without hesitation, my voice a little breathy from the effort.

Realizing it was probably bad decorum to be sprawled in his lap, I started to stand, but found myself quite shaky again. Using my powers seemed to really take it out of me. I felt large, strong hands grasp my hips and help me stand. Looking up, I saw it was Felix to my rescue again.

"Thanks," I told him as he held me steady on my feet. "I didn't know it was possible for us to be tired."

"Not much seems to be out of the question with you, Isabella," Felix responded with a huge dimpled smile. He was sorta cute when he wasn't scowling. I chuckled at myself as I regained my balance and turned my attention back to Aro.

"Perhaps you should go rest, Isabella. We can work more on this after you've had a chance to recover," Aro said, reaching up to give my hand a soft squeeze.

He smiled at me then and I realized that I loved seeing him smiling. I was glad to have brought new and interesting things to the castle, even if I did have to be a freak to do it.

"Mind if I help you out?" Felix asked with a mischievous grin.

"What did you have in mind?" I asked him warily.

Instead of responding, he showed me, picking me up bridal style and running me back to my room. I'd have found it embarrassing, but it was probably the least embarrassing thing I'd done since I arrived. So I just said, "Thank you," as he deposited me outside my door.

"Anytime. Has anyone ever told you that you are really funny?"

"Yeah, someone used to tell me that all the time, but it's nice to hear it again."

We laughed as I remembered my favorite former brother and I wondered if I had a replacement who actually wanted me in Felix. I hoped so.

"See you later, Isabella."

"Bye, Felix."

With that, I went into my room and collapsed on my bed for some much needed rest.


	8. Ch 8 Power and Bonds

**Chapter 8 Power and Bonds**

A/N: This chapter is a bit shorter than those of late have been, but sometimes they just end where they end. I hope it's enjoyable and I hope to have a new update up soon. Thanks for reading! ;)

Thanks to my dear sis-in-law, the other Amanda, and Reka for beta reading. ;)

R/R: All feedback, even and especially criticism, is welcome and appreciated!

Legal: All things Twilight belong exclusively to Stephenie Meyer, whom I am not, unfortunately. =)

**~xoxo~**

"Well, that certainly was interesting," Marcus commented after Felix had sped away with Isabella.

"Quite," Caius agreed. "Were you satisfied with her, Aro?"

"Aro?" Marcus repeated, attempting to get their brother's attention.

"You have no idea," Aro mumbled softly, his eyes still fixed on the point Felix and Isabella disappeared from. Aro never mumbled.

"Are you alright, brother?" Caius asked, concerned with Aro's odd behavior.

Aro shook himself and tried to focus on his brothers' questions.

"Her powers have quite a lot of potential," he finally answered, still being a bit vague.

"Yes, she is apparently a very powerful shield. That will come in handy. Along with Renata's power, you will be even more untouchable, but that hardly seems to warrant the interest I see building between you two. What are your intentions, Aro?" Marcus asked, becoming concerned over the bond developing between his brother and the newest member of the coven.

In fact, he was becoming concerned over the many and quickly developing bonds that Isabella seemed to be collecting in her very short time here.

"I cannot honestly answer that yet. She is very intriguing. I would go so far as to say that her worth lies well beyond that of a mere shield."

"There's something you're not sharing, Aro. What was the last thing she did with you that caused her to collapse?" Caius asked.

Aro paused for a fraction of a second before deciding he wasn't ready to share the full extent of what happened yet. Not at least until he had a chance to further explore it and find out what it all meant for them both. Fortunately, Isabella's thoughts provided for an easy excuse that needed to be brought up anyway. His brothers needed to know how bad things had gotten for her because of Edward Cullen.

"As she did with young Jane, Isabella moved her shield for me and allowed me a peek at her mind. She is an enchanting creature that has been much abused by our kind. The Cullen boy's treatment of her was worse than we believed. He left her fully and truly broken. She loved him so deeply, with all of her being. She was willing to become one of us, even eager to do so. All that she had, she laid bare before him and he just walked away. He would not turn her, saying he did not want to 'damn her soul,' but I believe it was something else. He wanted to keep her as a human and I want to know why."

"I can't believe anyone would want to hurt Isabella," Caius said, receiving surprised looks from his brothers. "I know you all think me to be cold. Think what you will, I do not care. She is a gentle soul and a stunning creature. I can't fathom anyone not caring for her."

Marcus raised an eyebrow at his normally reserved and aloof brother as he noticed another deep bond forming toward the new girl. He was intrigued and decided to try to catalog and figure out these new bonds in his next quiet opportunity for reflection and meditation.

"I agree, Caius, and I apologize for my rude expression. She is a treasure. Once we speak with Carlisle, perhaps we can learn more about why they left her like that: so human, vulnerable, alone, and heartbroken," Aro said, looking as if he would cry at the memories if he were able.

"Someone should have to answer for their treatment of her. She did nothing to deserve this," Caius said, outraged to hear how bad the sweet girl had been hurt.

"I agree. That is why I think the one who abandoned her should answer for himself. Edward Cullen blatantly broke our laws when she was human and even went so far as to tell Isabella about the law he was breaking and its punishment. That is why she came here, asking us for an end to her existence. He once told her that if a vampire wanted to commit suicide, he need only annoy us. We will definitely need to have a word with him sooner, rather than later."

Felix reentered the room after dropping Isabella off at hers.

"Felix?" Aro asked, obviously wanting an update on his newest fascination.

"She's resting in her room, Master."

"Very well. Perhaps I will check on her," Aro mused, finding himself unable to stay away.

"Master?"

"Yes, Jane?"

"Would you like Alec or me to do that for you?"

"That's quite alright, my dear. Why don't you remain here and come get me when Carlisle arrives? Although," he stopped at the door before leaving, looking back into the throne room. "Alec, perhaps you could look into getting something set up here in the castle somewhere so she doesn't have to go so far to feed?"

Alec nodded, disappointed that he couldn't go see her but glad to be doing something for her, and sped past Aro to go see a man about a shark tank.

Aro continued out the door and off to check on Isabella.

"Do you think there is cause for concern?" Marcus asked Caius, indicating the place Aro had disappeared from.

"Not as of yet, but I do hope Sulpica doesn't get jealous of his new little obsession."

"Here's hoping," Marcus agreed.

"For my part, I think I'll go check on my Dora," Caius remarked before standing to head off for his own chambers and his darling wife. "Jane, please also inform me when the Cullens arrive."

Jane nodded to her blond master as he took his leave.

Marcus leaned back in his own chair and concentrated on the many bonds he saw moving toward the enigmatic young Isabella. Her power seemed even to blur his own relationship radar. While he could see the bonds originating with others and heading for her, he was blinded from seeing her connections. Perhaps later she would be willing to move her shield for him too. That way he could see her interest in others as well.

Aro was very taken with the girl but the nature of the connection was unclear. Aro didn't seem to know what he wanted from her as of yet. Caius's connection was protective in nature and showed almost no inclination to compete with his connection to his mate. Aro's wasn't so clear and Marcus feared for Sulpica's reaction if the bond became a romantic one. She had quite the jealous streak and still had not come to terms with Aro's affection for Jane, which was as far from sexual as possible.

Upon further inspection of his own interest in and bond with the new girl, he realized he had become so focused on others, he'd not yet allowed himself to feel anything for the girl. This did not, however, surprise him. He'd not felt particularly or personally connected with anyone since his own mate was taken from him. Rather than sink too far into that macabre line of thinking, because he knew better than most anyone that he was able to _fully_ empathize with Isabella's pain, he searched out other bonds to her.

Felix also seemed very protective of Isabella. It was a familial bond, without a doubt. He thought of her as a buddy, a younger sister he could roughhouse with, knowing him. He would undoubtedly defend her with a fierce loyalty. When and if the Cullen boy did come to court, Felix might have to be restrained or sent away to keep his temper in check. No doubt he could easily dismember the boy.

Jane, true to her word to Aro, was giving Isabella a chance. A bond of friendship stretched out from her that had real potential to deepen and become more. Jane truly connected with so few because most couldn't put aside their fear of her power to get to know her. It would be good for her to find a true friend in Isabella. Other than the fatherly bond she shared with Aro and the brotherly one she had with Alec, Jane was tightly bound to no one.

Alec also seemed to have made a quick connection to Isabella. He was usually quite standoffish, probably for the same reasons as Jane. Perhaps he saw a peer in Isabella. She was closer in physical age to the twins than any of the other vampires here amongst the Volturi. His connection also seemed to have the potential for more. There was definitely an attraction of the romantic nature there. Something else for Marcus to monitor.

It wouldn't do at all to have Aro and Alec openly competing for the girl's affections. Marcus sincerely hoped that Aro's connection would not cause the issue to even be raised. The younger man would, of course, never dare to knowingly compete with his master. No, the problem would be how Sulpica might interpret the threat to her own position in court.

With so much to keep an eye on, Marcus was surprised to find that for the first time in longer than he dared try to remember, he was not bored. This young Isabella girl was certainly an interesting and welcome addition to the Italian coven.


	9. Ch 9 Hopes and Dreams

Chapter 9 Hopes and Dreams

A/N: This chapter is dedicated to Shinku no tamashi, whose suggestion inspired the majority of this chapter. Thanks so much! =)

Thanks to Reka for being such a wonderful beta!

Legal: I'm a fan, not the author. It's not mine. I'm just playing. It's all Stephenie's.

~xoxo~

Arriving outside Isabella's room, Aro paused a moment to gather his thoughts. He needed to tread lightly with this girl. If he did not, he feared he would give away too much. Information was power in this world. Up to this point, no one collected power like Aro did, but now Isabella had the means to collect as well, and directly from his own head.

On the other hand, if an agreement could be reached the possibilities were truly exciting. Now instead of only his own first hand perspective of that which he saw, he would have a reflecting glass in her. The potential for increased understanding, not to mention the companionship of someone who truly understood him, was worth a lot of risk.

It was not in Aro's nature to trust quickly but he'd seen inside her head now and he believed she was a safe bet. The girl was loyal to a fault and she seemed to have also decided that he and his brothers were not the evil fiends her ex-boyfriend had made them out to be.

Aro raised his hand to knock at her chamber door when he heard the most unexpected sound. He paused to listen more carefully. It was a breathing sound, the pattern was unusual though. What was she doing in there? He knocked softly but got no response.

"Isabella," he called out, opening the door a bit. "Are you alright?"

Again getting no response, he began to worry and swung the door open fully and moved into the room to find her. Isabella was snuggled down in her bed, under the covers, and judging solely by the sounds she was making, it almost seemed like she was asleep.

Gliding across the room, Aro decided to investigate more closely before attempting to "wake" her. This was certainly the most peculiar vampire he'd ever met. She seemed to defy every rule of their existence. It was as if she didn't know how to be what she was, so she simply made up her own rules.

Her soft breathing continued even as she stirred. If she was awake, Aro would be supporting her new career of actress because he was thoroughly convinced.

He suddenly felt as if he was intruding on a private moment. She didn't seem distressed in any way. He should leave her to her sleep, if by some miracle she had achieved such a thing.

He intended to leave. Just walk away from her bed, her room, but his feet did not seem to want to cooperate. So he continued to stand there, staring at her while she slept.

A memory came to his mind as she stirred again. It was one of hers. Edward Cullen used to watch her sleep. Aro wasn't sure yet how he wanted her to think of him, but he knew he didn't want to remind her of that foul boy. This thought finally spurred his feet to action and he began to move away from the bed.

He had just turned his back when he heard her say his name so softly it sounded like a prayer.

"Aro."

He turned back to her but she was still reclining in the same manner, her eyes were still closed, and her breathing was still slow and even. He watched her closely for a moment but she didn't sit up or open her eyes.

Could it be possible that she was actually dreaming? He knew from her memory that as a human she spoke in her sleep if she was dreaming. If for no other reason than to see the phenomenon to compare, Aro knew he'd find a way to touch Edward now.

This was remarkable. He wondered if he could see what she was dreaming about. Perhaps while she slept, if that turned out to be what she was doing, her shield would be down. Would she forgive him taking the liberty to find out? What if this was a one-time only opportunity? If he'd learned nothing else from the glimpse into her mind that she'd afforded him earlier, he knew she was almost as curious a creature as he was.

Especially since she'd become a vampire, but even in her nearly crystal clear memories of her human life, she had a real thirst for knowledge. She was an avid reader and had a vivid imagination.

Her memories of her time in the seas as she journeyed here made Aro want to try going for a swim. The world below the water was full of so many wonders he'd never considered before.

He especially loved one memory Isabella had of looking at her own hands glistening like diamonds and all color of gemstones from the reflected sunlight filtering through the water. It was mesmerizing.

Surely this oh-so-curious creature would forgive him this attempt to learn. He assured himself that it was only curiosity of a purely objective nature that compelled his hand forward to gently brush a curl from her face.

He couldn't help but be disappointed when he found her shield very much in place, but he hoped she might share her dream later. He found himself anxious to wake her but unable to take this gift from her. How many centuries had it been since he had slept or dreamt? Too many to count.

If she really was dreaming and willing to share those dreams with him, he'd be so grateful. There would be nothing he wouldn't give for such a privilege. He wondered what she might ask of him. It didn't matter, really. He knew he'd give his kingdom to share in these experiences and have her as his looking glass, _lo suo specchio_.

"No!" she cried out softly, "Please, Edward! Don't!"

Dreams he could abide, gladly so, but the pain on her face made it clear, if her words had not, this was a nightmare.

"Bella, please wake up. Bella," Aro cooed softly, not wanting to startle her.

She was still a newborn after all, even if she did not behave as such.

Her eyes flew open and she bolted up with a strangled, "No!" before her eyes focused on Aro standing by her bed.

"What was that? Aro, what's happening to me?" she cried before launching herself from the bed into his arms.

He caught her carefully and turned slightly to sit on the bed. He tightened his arms around her and rocked her gently.

"Easy, Bella. It's okay. You're okay. I've got you."

She stiffened in his arms and became very quiet. He looked down to find her looking up at him in shock.

"It's okay, my dear. Somehow you've managed to sleep and dream but we already knew you were a bit different. I doubt it is cause for alarm."

He tried to soothe her, even as she flinched when he'd said "different." He'd forgotten how much she hated standing out.

She started shaking her head back and forth as she looked down and away from him.

"It's not that. You, you called me... Bella."

With everything going on, Aro had pulled the nickname from her own memories in an attempt to comfort her. He had not meant to upset her with it.

"I'm sorry. I can continue to call you Isabella, if you prefer. I like both. They suit you."

She finally seemed to realize she was in his lap again and tried to extricate herself from it. Aro loosened his grip, not wanting to keep her in his arms if she did not want to be there.

Her gaze remained downturned as she mumbled quietly, "I'm sorry, Master. You may call me whatever you wish."

Aro sighed. This was turning bad quickly. He reached out and took Isabella's chin in his hand and turned her face back up toward his.

"Look at me, Isabella. Don't do that. You don't have to shut down on me like that. I want to be your friend. While in public certain decorum is necessary, we are quite alone here. Now, please tell me why it bothered you when I called you Bella."

She took a deep breath and gazed into those crimson eyes. An undeniable urge filled her. She wanted to make him smile, for him to be happy with her.

"I was Bella when I was human, when I was _his_. Now I am a vampire. I am Volturi. I'm different. Besides," she admitted with a sheepish smile, "I love how my full name sounds with everyone's accents here."

He smiled at her and she felt relieved and happy that her answer was a good one for him.

"Then Isabella Volturi you shall forever more be," he told her with a smile, happy that she wanted to closely associate herself with his own family.

Isabella was honored at the way he'd said it, like she was truly one of them now. She was home again, she had family. She realized then that she was happy here. She smiled up at him again.

"Thank you," she whispered softly.

"So, you sleep and you dream. This is unheard of for one of our kind, didn't I tell you that you were special? Had you slept before?"

"Since becoming a vampire? No. I didn't know I could either. I was just so tired after what we tried earlier. I thought it would be best to rest, so I did. The next thing I knew, you were waking me. What does this all mean?"

"I'm not sure, but I see no danger in it," Aro answered her, reaching out to place his hand on hers to comfort her.

She moved a little closer and seemed grateful for the gesture. She was so unsure of herself, but from what he'd seen in her memories, it was not uncommon for her.

"I was hoping you might be willing to share your thoughts with me again."

"You mean you really want to do it again?" she asked eagerly.

"I am very interested in the implications of these abilities, Isabella."

"I thought it was amazing! To see a glimpse of what you've seen in your life... Wow! I mean it was exhausting. I'm not sure how I could maintain it for long, but I definitely want to do it again."

Aro smiled at his new ward. She looked like a child on Christmas morning when she talked about it. She was quite literally bouncing a little on the bed. He was relieved to find her so eager.

"If I know it is coming, I am sure I can limit what you see, slow it down so it won't be so taxing. We'll have to experiment with it."

"Okay! That sounds like a plan. When do you want to try it again?"

"How are you feeling now?"

"I'm fine," she answered automatically.

"No, Isabella. I'm serious. Think for a moment. I want to know how you really feel right now."

She considered more carefully and answered as honestly as she could, "I'm still a little shaken by this whole 'sleep' thing. I'm a little nervous about trying the mind meld thing again. I'm also curious about what you get out of it. Mostly, I feel parched, not like thirsty just kind of dried out. I miss the water."

He smiled at her softly before responding, "That was a much more specific answer, thank you. Perhaps, after we talk a little more, a nice bath will help you relax and feel less parched. You will probably have to reacclimate to dry land slowly. I've never heard of anyone spending so long underwater like that. I think the 'sleep' thing will be okay, but I am very curious about it. Again, I've never heard tell of it happening to any vampire, but I promise to look into it for you. As far as the... What did you call it? 'Mind meld' thing? I hope to gain perspective from the experience. What's funny?"

Isabella had begun to laugh when he'd used the term 'mind meld' too. Here was a millennials-old vampire using a word from a futuristic science-fiction show.

"I'm sorry. It was hearing you say mind meld."

"Why? I was just using your words. It seemed an apt description, but I'm missing the humor."

"It's a pop culture reference. Don't watch much TV or go see many movies, do you?"

"I've always preferred the theatre but now I'm curious."

"You're always curious, Aro. That's what I love about you," she chuckled, holding out her hand to him.

He had a moment to consider her tone when she said the word 'love' before taking her hand. Surely if she had any romantic interest in him, she wouldn't have used the term so lightly, but what _had_ she been dreaming earlier? He supposed he'd soon find out.

And then of course, he realized, he had been thinking of her as a child earlier. It was for the best really. She was beautiful and fascinating, but much too young, in all senses of the word, and if he was being honest, he loved Sulpica, even if she wasn't always the most strategic choice for a mate. Resigning himself to thinking of Isabella as a friend only, he took her hand to see what she wanted to show him.

Isabella dropped her shield as Aro grasped her hand and focused on her memories of Spock for a moment before releasing her shield again. It was an effort to take down and a relief to let back up. She supposed it made sense though. If it were an effort to put up, she wouldn't always have it when she needed it.

"I see," Aro said with a grin, giving her hand a small squeeze before releasing it. "Quite an interesting character. Perhaps we will see about getting a TV after all. I imagine my brothers might enjoy that. Such a philosophical wonderland of ideas to be packaged in an action-packed guise."

"Felix and the others would probably like it too. There are lots of shows and movies in that franchise."

"Fascinating. You will teach us all so much, dear one. And I can see why that would remind you of what we did."

"What did you mean when you said you would gain perspective from it?"

"Ah yes. I meant that you will see what I have and I can see how you interpret it. You would be my mirror, _lo mio specchio,_ by which I could further examine all that I know, essentially making it all new again for me."

"And I would get to learn all sorts of new things," Isabella added. "Sounds like a win-win situation to me."

"Then we are agreed to try again soon?"

"I would love to."

"Wonderful. Now, there's one more thing I wish to discuss with you."

"The Cullens?" she ventured a guess.

"Indeed. Carlisle is due to arrive soon. I've forbidden any other to come but him. I want you there, but hidden."

"Hidden?"

"Yes, I will have you veil your face and you will remain behind me."

"But Alice will know already. You've decided."

"We believe you may be blocking her now."

"What makes you think so?"

"When I called Carlisle, he knew we were going to summon him, but he didn't know why. They do not seem to know you are here or if they do, they are hiding that they know, which I do not believe to be the case."

She considered this for a moment. "So it is possible that they don't know I'm a vampire?"

"I would say that is most likely the case."

"But why do you want me to hide?"

"I don't believe in giving away information needlessly, Isabella. Besides, if you are veiled and you decide it is too much, you can slip away without any trouble. I do want you to try to handle being there though."

She simply nodded her head. He was her master now, it wasn't a choice, not really.

"I do not want you to reveal your identity in any way," Aro continued. "This is a test. One for Alice, of course, to see if she is indeed blinded by you, which would be valuable to know, but also one for you. If you can handle his presence, we can discuss the possibility of the others coming to court and whether or not your presence would be required. I'll be honest with you, Isabella. In all likelihood, my brothers and I will want to speak with Edward at some point and we would want you there to shield us from him."

Her face dropped to look down at her lap before he lifted her chin to regain eye contact with her.

"I will do my best to give you time to prepare yourself. It is not my desire to cause you undue stress but you will have to deal with him eventually. Unless you would prefer to allow Felix to tear him apart, he would undoubtedly do it quite eagerly."

She gave him a questioning look and he didn't need her shield down to understand. This girl did not see her worth at all.

"He is angry with Edward for his treatment of you, Isabella. We all are. I doubt you'll believe this but we consider you very precious—all of us do. We believe what they did to you when you were human was cruel. We may feed from humans but we are not sadistic monsters. We would never leave someone so broken for no apparent reason. The only thing preventing some from seeking vengeance is your own forgiving heart. They know it would upset you."

Isabella looked like she'd be crying if she could. They cared for her. She wouldn't believe it possible so soon but she felt the same way. These not-so-evil vampires were her family.

"May I?"

"What is it you need, my dear? You need only ask and it is yours," Aro vowed.

Isabella smiled so big her face hurt and reached out her arms to invite her master, her friend, into a hug that he joyfully accepted.

A knock at the door interrupted the happy and moment and Jane leaned slightly into the room.

"Master, please forgive the interruption but Dr. Cullen has arrived."

Aro patted Isabella's back and stood from the bed.

"Go, take your bath and prepare," he told her before turning to Jane. "Come in, dearest one. Help Isabella find a veil to hide her identity. Help her dress and escort her back to us."

"Yes, Master," Jane replied, moving to the closet to find Isabella some appropriate clothes.

"Thank you, Aro," Isabella whispered.

"You are most welcome, dear one. I will see you both shortly."

Aro sped from the room and the girls began to prepare.

~E/N~

_lo suo (mio) specchio –_his (my) mirror

[If any of you speak Italian, I'd love to know if this is grammatically correct. I know the word _specchio_ is masculine and have followed that pattern, but since he is referring to Isabella, should it be treated as such or as a feminine noun? Is there a way to 'feminize' it for this use? Thanks!]


	10. Ch 10 Justice

Chapter 10 Justice

"Carlisle, how nice of you to join us, and so quickly," Aro said by way of greeting as he entered the throne room.

Marcus and Caius were already seated at the front and Carlisle was standing near the center of the room as he waited for Aro's arrival.

"Forgive me for not being here to greet you earlier," Aro continued, reaching a hand out for one of Carlisle's as he approached, "but an important matter demanded my attention. How are you, my old friend?"

As Carlisle's hand slid into Aro's, the raven-haired vampire's eyes fell closed while he examined Carlisle's thoughts.

"I am well, if not concerned by this mysterious summons. What is it I can do for the Volturi and why was my family forbidden to accompany me?"

"All in good time," Aro said before releasing Carlisle's hand and turning to continue on to his throne.

Carlisle watched the three with an intense curiosity. They liked their secrecy, they always had, but this was all becoming a bit much.

"Everything is well with our little one?" Caius asked Aro as he sat down.

"Better than you can imagine," Aro responded with a wide smile.

Returning his attention to their guest, Aro asked, "Carlisle, where is your first son? What has become of Edward?"

Carlisle gave Aro a questioning look and wondered what kind of game he was playing, asking questions that were answered the moment their hands had touched. Having no choice but to play along, he answered, "I wish I knew. He has left us to travel for a while."

"And why would he leave his family for so long? I was under the impression that most of the time you all stayed together."

"We do sometimes split up for short periods to explore different pursuits. It is not uncommon."

"But why him and why now?" Aro persisted.

"I'm not sure I feel comfortable answering such a personal question on his behalf. Perhaps you could summon him and ask directly? I could only give you my own conjecture."

The doors behind Carlisle opened slowly and softly, interrupting their conversation nonetheless. Jane entered, followed by a woman dressed in a beautiful blue gown, her face covered in a matching veil. The mysterious woman paused a moment, seeming to stare at Carlisle before Jane gently took her hand and led her around the edge of the room to where Alec was standing, near Caius's throne.

Alec smiled and took Isabella's other hand to give it an encouraging squeeze. Even under the veil, he could tell she was unnerved by the doctor's presence.

Marcus watched Aro's face as the comforting gesture passed between Alec and Isabella; he was very pleased by the reaction he saw there and in Aro's bond to their new ward. It was solidifying into something similar to the bond his brother had for Jane.

Aro stood and faced the new arrival.

"My dear," he called her, avoiding her name, "won't you join me?"

Isabella gave Alec's and Jane's hands a final squeeze before moving to join Aro on the dais. When she reached him, she took his hand and dropped her shield for a moment. He let her know what he had planned and she nodded and let her shield back up.

Spinning her outward to face Carlisle, he introduced her, sort of.

"Carlisle, this is my newest guard, Maria," Aro improvised, using a variation of her middle name for now. "She is probably the reason your Alice is having such difficulties. Maria is quite the powerful shield."

Carlisle nodded, wondering if all this was headed somewhere or if Aro just wanted to show off his newest collected vampire and test her powers against his family.

Aro returned to his seat, moving Isabella behind him and resting her hand on his shoulder with a finger touching his bare neck, just in case.

"Now, where were we? Oh yes, your eldest," Aro began, feeling Isabella's hand twitch a bit on his shoulder. "We will indeed be speaking to him soon, but for now, I would like to hear your 'conjecture,' as you so elegantly put it."

"What are you playing at, Aro? You've read my mind, you know every thought."

"I assure you I am not playing," Aro snapped, irritation clear in his voice. "Tell me why your family suddenly left your home. Tell me why your eldest abandoned you. Why are the other members of your family thoroughly depressed? Tell me."

Carlisle sighed. They'd broken the law. He knew it, as did Aro. Now for some reason he wanted a confession.

"He loves her," Carlisle began to explain.

Isabella's hand fidgeted again on Aro's shoulder and she dropped her shield to ask, _Why are you doing this?_

He responded, just as silently, _Because it is necessary. You must trust me, Isabella. Remember that you are free to slip out if you need to_.

Isabella let her shield back up and steeled herself against the coming conversation. She felt like she had something to prove. She was not weak. A member of the guard could not be weak. She could and would stay. She'd prove her strength.

"I know it's no excuse," Carlisle continued, not having noticed the silent exchange, "but we assumed he would change her."

"But he did not. He knowingly broke our most basic law. Why?"

"He loves her."

"You did say that, but it does not explain why he abandoned her with our secret."

"He believes that he would be damning her soul."

"So he thinks himself, and all the rest of us, to be soulless monsters?"

"Yes," was the simple reply, as Carlisle nodded his bowed head.

"No. This is absurd. What is the real reason?"

"This is the only reason I know."

"And you? What is your excuse? You are the leader of your coven, yet you do nothing. You leave a human who knows our secret alive and alone."

"You are correct. I am as responsible as he, but I could not bring myself to go against his wishes."

"I know you care for Edward, but have you no feelings for the girl?"

"Bella?"

The girl in question shifted nervously, having heard her name from his lips before going very still again.

He did not seem to notice as he continued to answer, "We love her. She is like a daughter to me. A sister to Emmett and Jasper. Alice's very best friend. Esme loves her as only a mother can. And Rosalie, well she is jealous of Bella's charm but loves her too, in her way."

Bella fought back sobs and sighs of disbelief as he listed her former family, but somehow managed to keep still and quiet.

"You say you loved her but you left her all alone just because he asked you to. You say she was family but it doesn't sound like you treated her as such."

Carlisle hung his head, sobbing tearlessly.

"You're right. We never should have left her. He convinced us she would be better off without us, but we never even got to say goodbye. He thought it was better that way…" Carlisle trailed off and Bella almost ran to comfort him but Aro, expecting such a reaction, reached up and took her hand and shook his head 'no.'

"Carlisle, you know the law. A human cannot know of our existence. Once she knew, you doomed her to her death. While the matter has been settled in some ways, I still think it essential to speak to your entire family about the issue. It would be a shame to have this happen again."

"What do you mean about it being settled?" Carlisle asked, his voice thick with dread.

"I told you, Carlisle, no human may live that knows of our existence. It is the law and you knew that already. Bring your family around tomorrow. I wish to speak with every single one of them, including Edward. Find him."

Carlisle stared at Aro in disbelief. Bella was dead? She couldn't be. She was in Forks. Wasn't she?

"Please, Aro," Carlisle dropped to the floor and began to beg, before he was interrupted.

"We have nothing to offer you, Cullen," Caius sneered. "Be glad you are leaving with your head attached."

Bella dropped her shield again, _Please, Aro. This is too cruel. Why is this necessary?_

_You will learn not to question us, Isabella. We do what is best. Some punishment must be meted. They deserve one night to think you are lost to this world. It is only grief. I will allow you to give them some relief tomorrow, but for now, do as you're told. Remember, you are my guard._

She dropped her head submissively, _I know. I'm sorry._

_You are too kind-hearted, Isabella. This is justice in a kinder form. We are showing the mercy you begged for._

She nodded and remained open to him so he would not doubt her allegiance any further.

Carlisle raised himself from the floor and turned solemnly to leave the castle, dreading the news he had to bring to his family.

Once the chamber doors were closed again, Caius stood and walked over to Isabella. He lifted her veil, took her hands in his, and looked into her eyes to show her how serious he was being.

"I am proud of you, Isabella. I know it took a lot to stand there and listen to him. Your heart is very tender. We are happy to have such a compassionate member of our guard. We truly value the perspective you bring to us. I know it was difficult to let this go the way we decided it must, but please believe we do not do this lightly or with cruel intentions. They must take this serious and this was the only way for that to happen."

Isabella nodded and shifted her eyes to the floor. Inside, she was angry at herself for allowing them to do this. She did not want the Cullens hurt because of her. She didn't want them to hurt for any reason. But she was starting to recognize her role here too. These three had ruled their kind for millennia and they were wiser than she was. She realized that she did trust them.

"I understand. A week or more ago, I wouldn't have. This idea of experience knowing best, or even the idea of being subservient to one's elders, would have been very hard for my 21st century mind to process, but I'm starting to get it. I am Volturi. I will be loyal and do as I'm asked. I swear."

While she was speaking, Marcus had moved over to join them. He placed an arm around her shoulder and hugged her gently into his side. Most of the vampires in the room were staring at him in shock. Marcus never touched anyone but Aro. He never cared enough about anyone to hug them. Not ever. The significance of the gesture was lost on Isabella, being new to court, but she appreciated it nonetheless.

"No one doubts it, Isabella. Look around the room," Marcus told her, waving at the others watching them. "We care for you. All of us, each in our own way, want you to be part of our lives. We are very happy to have you here."

Isabella smiled, feeling warm like she sometimes did in the ocean. She realized it was a feeling she associated with being home. She looked at the various vampires, scattered around the room. She'd not met them all, but she could see what Marcus meant. They looked at her like they were happy to see her.

Some even more so than others, or so it seemed as she looked down at Jane and Alec. She wondered what they were thinking and without any conscious effort on her part, her shield flung out to encompass them.

_She is so beautiful_, Alec thought.

_I hope she will be my friend_, Jane was thinking.

As soon as she realized how rude she was being, Isabella pulled her shield back in. Alec thought she was beautiful and Jane wanted to be her friend. She smiled at the twins and her stomach flipped when Alec smiled back at her.

Aro caught the exchange and smiled knowingly at his brothers.

"Alec," Aro called, getting the boy's attention. "Do you have something to show Isabella?"

Alec's face lit up as he smiled at Aro. "Yes, Master. May I take her now?"

"I think that's a wonderful idea."

Without hesitating once permission was given, Alec ran up on the dais, grabbed Isabella's hand, and pulled her out of Marcus's embrace and out of the room in a blur of speed.

Marcus chuckled. "Their bond is growing so quickly. I believe their love with be beautiful."

"He certainly deserves it," Jane spoke up.

"As do you, my dearest," Aro responded. "Do not be sad. Even one as young in stature as you will find love, one day. You must only be patient."

Jane nodded. "I'm not jealous, just so long as he lets me hang out with her every once in a while," she amended with a soft laugh. "It's going to be nice to have a real friend."


	11. Ch 11 The Shark Tank

Chapter 11 The Shark Tank

A/N: Thanks to Reka for being my wonderful beta! ;) ~To my readers, especially you Alec lovers, I'm curious if you think I do him justice in this chapter. There is precious little in canon to help me so most of the characterizations are inspired by fanon or my own imaginings. I hope you enjoy!~

Legal: It's all Stephanie's! =)

~xoxo~

Alec pulled Isabella through the corridors so quickly she couldn't tell where they were headed, nor could she have found her way back out had she needed to. The castle walls were a blur, but his hand was tight in hers and she felt safe chasing after him. After having been such a clumsy human, it was sheer habit that normally kept her at a slow pace. With Alec, though, she felt confident to really run.

All too soon, they were slowing and came to a stop outside a huge door. They were deep under the castle and the walls were cool and damp. It was a comfortable place and, although she wasn't sure why, smelled homey to Isabella.

She took a moment to look at the beautiful boy before her. He seemed to be waiting for her to say something but all she wanted to do was admire him. His face, perfect and pale, was the most handsome she'd ever known and contrasted beautifully with his dark hair and crimson eyes. Most of the edge coloring on his irises had faded and she missed it. It reminded her of the fun they'd had before. She hoped he'd try fish again sometime.

She didn't really expect him, or any of the Volturi, to change their diets. She was thankful that Aro seemed content to allow her to continue on with her own preferences, but she knew better than to hope she could change their minds. After all, Carlisle hadn't managed to.

Besides, her Alec would not be her Alec without those crimson eyes she could drown in. He smiled and took a step closer to her, putting less than a foot's distance between them as they stared into each other's eyes.

"You are the most patient girl I've ever known," he told her, a playful light dancing in his eyes. "Aren't you curious?"

"Eternally," she responded, automatically taking a step back and looking down at their feet.

How could one person inspire such a myriad of emotions in her? She knew she was safe with him. She was certainly attracted to him but she couldn't help but to feel bashful too. She knew he thought she was beautiful but she'd stolen that from his head and had just about convinced herself that she'd actually just wished he was thinking that. Surely this beautiful immortal couldn't be interested in the freak?

Alec chuckled at her, finding her bashfulness adorable. He stepped back and took her hand in his again.

"Close your eyes," he commanded.

She obeyed and heard him open the door in front of them before leading her forward. After only a step or two inside, he released her hand and moved behind her, only to slide his arms around her waist and pull her back into a gentle hug.

"Okay," he breathed, his mouth right by her ear, causing her to shiver, which caused him to chuckle very softly. "Open your eyes."

When she did as she told, the sight before her was beyond words.

"Oh, Alec!" she squealed before wrapping her arms over top of his and pulling him closer. "Did you do all this for me?"

She felt him nod against her shoulder. "Do you like it?"

"Like it? It's amazing!"

Somehow, her darling boy had managed to bring a bit of her favorite place right here to Volterra. It was like a tiny piece of the ocean in that room. The tank, or maybe pool was the right word, opened shallowly at her feet before going back several hundred feet and getting deeper and deeper.

There was an observation wall to the left that cut a cross section of the tank. She could see sand, fish, plants, everything. It was so beautiful.

"Want to go explore?" he asked softly, squeezing her again.

It sounded like the best idea ever and she told him so. "But what about the gown?" she asked, indicating her clothing.

"No problem," he responded with a grin, leading her to a small door by the observation wall.

He pulled her into the little side room. There were closets filled with clothes for swimming and for after, cabinets with water accessories and toys, a shower to rinse off under, a dressing area to change and even lounge chairs to relax on.

"You think of everything, don't you?" she asked, digging through the closet to find a suit in the right size.

"I try," he responded with a small shrug, pulling his robes off to reveal swim trunks and t-shirt underneath.

"Prepared, huh?"

"Well, I had hoped that Master Aro would surrender your attention eventually," he replied with a chuckle.

Finally finding a suit, Isabella changed behind the curtained area and stepped back out to find Alec relaxing in one of the lounge chairs, his eyes closed.

"Comfy?" she asked, a little bit of a purr in her voice.

Alec grinned lazily and opened his eyes to look in her direction. When he saw her, he lost control of his face and his jaw literally dropped open. She had been beautiful in her gown. In the tiny blue bikini that matched her eyes perfectly, she was sex on two legs.

Isabella thoroughly enjoyed the look he was giving her and couldn't help but tease him a little.

"See something you like?" she asked with a smile.

One of these days, maybe she'd learn not to tease a vampire. Before she could blink, he was up off the chair and standing so closely he should have been touching her, but so far, he wasn't. He stared into her eyes and allowed her to see all the heat she inspired in him there.

She thought she might drown in those crimson eyes before, now she felt very much like she was falling. His lips were a fraction of a breath from hers and she wanted nothing more than for him to close the distance, but he didn't. He kept that impossibly small distance. She thought about closing it herself. Could she do it? Really give her heart away again? Trust so soon?

She waited too long to decide. Fearing he was pushing her into something she couldn't possibly be ready for, Alec took a step back and gave her a sweet smile. It took every ounce of self-control he possessed not to grab her and press her soft, beautifully body between the nearest solid surface and himself, but he held on.

"Come on," he finally managed to say, holding out his hand to her. "Come see the little ocean I built for you."

Isabella smiled, wishing for all the world she'd shown him her heart in that moment but, at the same time, happy to delay the decision for another time. She didn't know how to do anything halfway. If she decided to kiss him and he didn't reciprocate her feelings, she'd be crushed, again. And this was not a problem she would be able to run away from if it went badly.

Alec led her back into the tank room and pulled her along the observation wall.

"Look," he said, pointing toward the bottom of the wall. "I brought some of those mean little hard things."

They both laughed, remembering Alec's last encounter with a crab.

"They're called crabs," she told him. "And humans find them quite delicious."

"Humans can have them," he told her with a chuckle. "What else do you see?"

"I think I see some yellow fish, like the one you tried."

"Yeah, it was pretty good. Come on, let's go in the water so you can see better."

He ran off to the end of the observation wall and started into the swallow end of the tank. Isabella noticed as she raced after him that there was no hesitation like there was last time. He had gotten comfortable with the water very quickly.

"How did you manage all this? And so quickly?" she asked before they got in too deep to talk.

He shrugged. "When money's not an issue, things tend to get done quickly and easily."

"So you bought it all? That must have cost a fortune!"

"Not really. When you live as long as our masters have, you tend to accumulate more money than you can ever spend. Besides, I got the fish and plants myself."

"Really? You went back in just to get all this for me?"

He gave her a silly smile and shook his head. How could she think he wouldn't go to the ends of the earth for her? His sister was right, this girl had no idea how wonderful she was or how much they all thought of her. Especially him. He'd have to tell her, but not yet. He couldn't stand the thought of scaring her away, now that he'd finally found her.

"Come on, Izzy. You still haven't seen the best part," he called to her as he sank below the surface, continuing toward the deepest part of the water.

She shivered as the pet name rolled off his tongue. That accent would do her in before all was said and done. She smiled and followed him further into the water.

As soon as she was submerged, she scented the water and her face lit up. She knew what the surprise was now. Somewhere in this water was her favorite food. She stalked for a moment, but it didn't take long for her to find him. He was a beautiful, blue-gray bull shark; the kind most people think of when they imagine a shark. He looked fierce and she could barely wait to play with him.

She stalked up close, showed him she wasn't afraid. This type of shark was typically less startled by humans because they normally lived near shores. She wondered if he could tell she wasn't human. He didn't try to bite her, even though she got up really close to him. Running a hand across his back as he swam by her, she let him keep swimming. She wasn't hungry and was not about to kill him yet. Alec had gotten him for her. This shark was special.

She looked around the water and found the beautiful boy watching her with a curious look. No doubt he wondered why she hadn't eaten it. Fearing that she would offend, she decided it was time to say thank you. They couldn't speak to each other underwater, they had no air. But that wasn't how she wanted to thank him anyway.

Stalking him, much as she had the shark, Alec got a wary look on his face as she approached. Finally getting close enough to touch, she reached out her left hand to caress his right cheek gently. She smiled at him and he returned the beautiful smile. She moved very slowly and very intently to place a gentle kiss on his left cheek. There. _Now let him take__ that__ how__ever__ he would_, she thought to herself, pulling back to look into his eyes.

They were no longer red, no longer had they any hint of blue or any other color. They were black. It reminded her slightly of the look on Jasper's face at her party, the one on Laurent's right before he bit her. It was a look of hunger, but it was different too. She took an involuntary step back, that look scared her. As much as she'd wanted him to kiss her, she was still afraid.

He didn't want to scare her. She looked scared. Alec closed his eyes and concentrated. He would be calm. He would let her come to him. She'd just had her heart broken into a million pieces by that idiot Cullen. She needed time to heal. By some miracle, for the second time he managed to gain some semblance of control.

What had she been thinking? She had to stop teasing him. It was an accident, she told herself. She would be more careful, she promised herself. He seemed calmer when he reopened his eyes and she was glad to find them crimson once more. He smiled at her. He didn't look angry and he didn't look hungry anymore either.

Alec reached out and took her hand to lead her out of the water and back into the little side room.

"So what did you think?" he asked as she moved back behind the curtain to dry off and change while he dug through the closet for some dry trousers and a shirt.

"I think you are too good to me," she responded with a soft giggle. "Thank you."

"You, my dear Izzy, are most welcome. I like doing things for you," he told her, his voice getting quieter as he admitted it.

She slipped out from behind the curtain to find him waiting his turn to go in and change. She smiled at him again as he moved past her.

"I like that," she whispered.

"Like what?" he asked.

"What you call me. Izzy. It's pretty."

"As are you," he called from behind the curtain. It was so much easier to say what he wanted when he wasn't taken with staring at her.

If she could have blushed, she would have. He did like her, didn't he? He did all this for her and he'd almost kissed her twice now. How much more of a sign did she need?

Alec stepped back out around the curtain to find Isabella standing there with a look of heavy concentration on her face. He walked up and looked into her eyes.

"Are you okay? Did I upset you?"

"No. I mean, yes, I'm okay. Well, better than okay. And, no, you didn't upset me. You've made me very happy," she told him, giving him that smile that threatened his carefully maintained control. "You make me feel at home. Thank you, Alec."

The sound of his name on her lips was like he imagined it might sound on the lips of one of God's own angels. It filled him with joy and he hoped she'd say it again, and soon.

Watching his face, she could tell he was thinking of happy thoughts. She hoped they were thoughts of her. Realizing what she was thinking, she knew she was stalling for no good reason.

"Alec?"

"Yes, Izzy?"

"Do you… I mean, would you… If you want to…" she struggled with words. It was one thing to decide and another to try to talk about it.

Hoping he wasn't seriously misinterpreting her stammering, he stepped a bit closer and placed his hands on her hips. He looked into those beautiful ocean eyes for a moment. Never in all his years had he felt this way. Anything this creature asked of him, he would gladly do to please her.

"Please," she breathed softly, glancing down at the lips that were so close to hers she could almost taste him already.

Confirmation given, the boy waited no longer. He loosed his tightly won control and pressed his lips to hers, hoping to communicate all that he hadn't managed to say, but knew he was feeling, into that gentle pressure.

A soft moan emanated from deep within the beautiful girl in his arms. He pulled her closer as his tongue slipped out to pass over her bottom lip and beg entrance, which was immediately given. The kiss deepened, full of promise of things to come.

Far too soon, he pulled back to look into her eyes, searching for validation that he'd made the right choice. When her eyes opened, he found them onyx black. She smiled softly at him and he watched as her eyes began to bleed back to midnight blue again.

She placed a hand on either side of his face and a soft, almost chaste, kiss on his lips.

"Thank you, so much, Alec. For everything. Mostly, thank you for being patient with me. I know I haven't been easy to deal with," she told him, maintaining eye contact to show him how serious she was.

"Thank you, Izzy. For everything. Mostly, for finally coming to me. I've waited lifetimes for you."

Perhaps it was too much, but he couldn't seem to hold back anymore. He pulled her into a tight hug, giving her time to process what he'd said and hoping she'd not recoil from him for saying it.

Her arms slid around his neck and pulled his body tight to hers. He'd waited lifetimes for her. She prayed to whatever deity might still listen to her kind that he meant it because she felt the same way. It was like everything that had happened, all the terrible pain and struggles, were meant to bring her here, to him. Now she could be happy.

When he finally gave her enough slack to lean back and look into her face again, he was pleased to find her smiling. She looked happy.

"Izzy?"

"I am very happy, Alec," she told him, as if she could read his mind.

He smiled. She was happy, and so was he.


	12. Ch 12 The Truth

Chapter 12 The Truth

A/N: Thank you all so much for your patience. Just to warn you, updates will be a little more sporadic because if I don't get to work on my thesis and ease up on the fan fic a bit, I'm never going to graduate. Don't worry, updates will still come. They just may take a bit longer for the next few months.

Reka! I love you, girlie! Thanks for all your wonderful comments. You really got me thinking about some fun stuff.

Legal: It ain't mine and never will be! Thanks for creating such an inspiring world to play in, SM!

~xoxo~

As time always seemed to do when one was happy, Isabella's time with Alec had flown by too quickly and before she knew it, she found herself standing behind Aro in the throne room once again. She was veiled again and trying to calm her nerves a bit. They would be here soon.

This time, as she'd been practicing all morning, her shield encompassed every vampire in the room. If Carlisle had succeeded in finding Edward, their secret would not remain one unless she could manage to maintain her shield.

The most difficult part had not been covering the others but trying to stay out of their thoughts. It was too distracting and impossible to concentrate when she could hear them all. For the past hour, she had practiced and perfected a secondary shield that protected her from their thoughts unless she wanted to hear them.

Her success was measured by the fact that neither Jane, Aro, or Alec could use their gifts on any under her protection and, when she wanted to be, she was alone in her own mind. The real test would be whether she could keep this up when her former family arrived.

"Isabella," Aro called her from her thoughts.

"Yes, Master?"

"Your inner shielding must be effective. I have been trying to communicate with you now for a few moments."

"I'm sorry, Master. Give me a moment and I will lower it."

"That is not necessary. I just wanted to tell you that I think you are doing very well. I have faith that you can handle this. You are stronger than you give yourself credit for, my dear."

It was the highest praise she could have imagined. She smiled down at the gracious leader, though he could not see her face.

"Thank you, Master Aro."

Aro nodded and returned the smile that he could not see, but that could be clearly heard in her voice.

Isabella jumped, startled, as the large chamber doors were shoved open with a loud crash.

"A deep breath, _Maria_," Aro intoned her name to remind her of her role, as her former love ran across the room toward the thrones, followed by his family.

Felix stepped up to prevent Edward's progress and keep him from reaching the leaders.

"What have you done?" Edward screamed at them.

Caius was off his throne and standing by Felix in an instant. "What have _we_ done? What have _you_ done, boy?"

"I-I," Edward began before collapsing to his knees. "Please, tell me it's not true. She can't be…"

"No human may live with our secret. You know the law," Aro responded calmly. "Felix, Caius, please step back. All is well."

The two withdrew slightly and Aro patted Isabella's hand before standing to approach the fallen boy, leaving her standing behind his throne. It was all the better as far as she was concerned. She was already closer to the one who broke her than she wanted to be.

Isabella spared a glance at Alec. He smiled at her softly and gave her an encouraging nod before tapping his temple with his finger. Taking the signal for what it was, she opened her inner shield enough to hear him.

_You can do this, Izzy. Don't let him get to you. I'm right here, whatever you need._

She smiled happily behind her veil and nodded at her new love. He was right, Edward couldn't hurt her anymore. She felt safe and calm here with her family.

Aro approached Edward and reached for his hand. "Show me," he commanded simply.

Edward raised his hand to Aro's but kept his gaze on the floor. Aro sifted through the memories, focusing on the boy's side of the conversation in the woods that broke the dear girl so thoroughly.

"How could you think _that_ was for the best?"

"I am a fool," Edward responded simply.

"And the rest of you," Aro began, indicating the other Cullens surrounding their fallen brother and son. "Carlisle claims that you all cared for the girl. How could you allow him to do this?"

Looks of confusion and defensiveness covered every face.

"You don't know. None of you know what he did? How is that even possible?" Aro asked, directing the question at Alice. "Surely you must have seen what he'd planned."

"He asked me not to look. He said it was for her own good. We had to leave her alone." Alice sobbed and Jasper wrapped his arms around her.

"We were all fools to leave her unprotected. She was a danger magnet," Rosalie spoke up kindly.

There was no missing the surprised gasp from the veiled woman at that statement, but no one took notice. Only her thoughts of Alec were keeping her calm.

Alec, for his part, was silently cursing his masters for putting his Izzy through this. His love and concern pushed through her internal shield. His loyalty to her above all others comforted her in a way nothing else could have.

"It is as I should have suspected. I could not imagine my old friend Carlisle abiding such a cruel family. It was only you who did this," Aro accused, focusing on Edward. "You do not deserve their love. Tell them, tell them what you did to her."

"What _I_ did? I left her alive and well."

"You killed that girl! You may as well have. That was the day she stopped living."

"No."

"Yes. Now tell them," Aro commanded.

Isabella had had all she could take. She could not bear to relive that day again. Before even Alec had time to register the movement, she was pulling open the large door and running from the room.

"Maria, wait!" Aro called but it did not slow her.

"Izzy, please!" Alec begged.

"Go, Alec. Go after her," Aro commanded.

Alec tore off after her as the others stood and stared.

Edward gaped up at Aro in shock. "Izzy? Maria?" A bit of hope entered his eyes.

"Felix," Aro called before Edward had any more time to piece it together or Isabella's shielding fell from them. "The doors. No one else will be allowed to leave now."

"She…you…that was…" Edward stuttered.

"Isabella Marie Volturi. Yes."

"She's alive? You didn't kill her?"

"As I've tried to explain, we are not the ones who killed your Bella. You did that yourself."

"I only wanted her safe."

"Then why did you break her so thoroughly?"

"I didn't…" Edward pleaded.

"You did," Aro confirmed.

"Bella's a vampire?" The exuberant question escaped from a bouncing Emmett.

"Aro, why?" Carlisle asked.

"Because he left her and broke her. She sought death and quite unwittingly found immortality. Still, because of what he did, she wanted to die. So, she took his advice and came to us. And why did she choose to come here? Tell them Edward!"

"Because I told her that this was where I'd come to commit suicide."

"Yes," Aro replied as shock rushed through the other Cullens. "Not only did you reveal our existence, you did us the favor of painting us as evil monsters that kill our own kind without reason or provocation. She came here to beg me for death."

Esme was sobbing in Carlisle's arms as he raised his head and spoke quietly, "This is my fault."

"No," Edward argued as Aro agreed, "Yes, it is. You indulge this boy his every whim when all he really wants is to die and end his miserable existence."

"Aro, please, no," Esme begged.

"Do not grieve for _him_. We are not, contrary to rumor, a suicide squad. None of you will receive any punishment for this beyond your self-inflicted guilt and grief."

"Much as you deserve otherwise," Caius added.

"Why?" Alice asked.

"Because she begged mercy on your behalf and we will honor our bargain with Isabella," Marcus answered her.

"What bargain?" Edward snapped.

Aro smiled down at Edward, looking forward to this blow to the boy's heart. She had chosen to be Volturi. She was well and thoroughly done with him. He deserved so much worse but before he could answer the question, Edward interrupted.

"I can't hear you!"

"Still?" Aro asked, watching the boy's face as he shook his head. "Impressive. Her shield protects us still. I wonder," Aro mused, turning to Demetri. "Can you tell if she is still in the castle?"

Normally he could only track her if she allowed it but Demetri concentrated and checked anyway. "She has gone back, Master. Alec is with her."

"That far and still she covers us. Remarkable," Aro marveled.

"Gone back where?" Edward asked.

"That is none of your concern," Caius snapped.

"Of course it is. I love her."

"Love her so much you _destroyed_ her?" Caius sneered.

"Masters?" Jane asked of Aro and Caius, looking for permission to speak. "If I may?"

"Of course, my dearest," Aro allowed, stepping back as young Jane stepped forward.

"You consider us cruel for feeding on humans. I know you consider me the worst for my gift, but I assure you of two things: first, I have never tortured and broken anyone as thoroughly as you did her and second, if you ever hurt her again, there will be no mercy."

Felix growled from behind them to further back up the threat and Edward shrank further to the ground.

"What now, Aro?" Carlisle asked quietly.

"You may leave. I told you, she begged mercy on your behalf."

"What about Bella?" Alice asked.

"I don't think she likes to be called that anymore," Aro retorted, laughing softly at the private joke. "She is Volturi. She lives with us now."

"But we want her with us," Esme sobbed from Carlisle's embrace.

"We care little for what you want, Cullens," Caius snapped.

"Isabella will do what she likes," Marcus agreed with his brothers.

"Can we see her?" Alice asked.

"That is up to her. Though I don't imagine any of us will see her for a while. She is quiet upset and has run off."

"But you know where she is," Jasper drawled, holding Alice tightly.

"Generally, yes, but I have no need to track her down. She is not our prisoner."

Carlisle stepped forward and placed a hand on Edward's shoulder where he still sat on the floor. "May we remain in Volterra?"

"You may do as you wish, Carlisle. We will not punish you any further."

"Come," Carlisle commanded his family. "We will stay in town. If she wishes to see us, she will. We hope she will hear our apologies. We do love her. Will you pass that on, Aro?"

"She will have it directly from my own thoughts."

"Thank you, Aro."

The Cullens turned to leave with the exception of Edward, still slumped on the floor. Jane stepped up to him and held out a hand to help him stand. He looked at her questioningly.

"You would do well to accept a small kindness that I offer only because it would please my friend. It may very well be the last kind gesture offered to you."

Not understanding, but grateful for reasons not clear even to his own mind, he took Jane's hand and stood.

"Now go. See if you can figure out exactly how you messed up. If you truly want to apologize, you'd better know what you're apologizing for. Even her patience is worn too thin with you."

Edward nodded solemnly and turned to follow his family from the room.

Aro walked up behind Jane and placed a hand on her shoulder as they watched the doors close behind their guests. "She'd be proud of you for that."

"She's a good influence on us all," Jane agreed with a smile.


	13. Ch 13 As You Wish

**Chapter 13 As You Wish**

A/N: Since this chapter takes place underwater, the conversations have to be telepathic. I've put the dialog in italics. I hope this makes it clear.

Beta: Thanks, Reka! You're the best!

Legal: Not mine! =)

~xoxo~

He followed her for what seemed like hours. Once they'd reached the sea he'd expected her to slow but she kept running. She must not have minded his following her since she ran at a pace he could match. They sped across the sandy floor far below the water's surface until they reached an enormous reef where she finally stopped but did not turn to him.

He approached slowly giving her time to step away if she wanted to but she did not. He slipped his arms around her waist and her head fell back onto his shoulder. Tearless sobs wracked her body as he held her tight. Hoping her inner shield was down, he sent her calm and loving thoughts. After a time, he felt her become still and then she was in his mind.

_I'm sorry. Do you think Master Aro will ever forgive me?_

_There's nothing for you to feel sorry for, Izzy. Master Aro should never have expected you to endure that fool's presence._

_It was my duty to protect their minds and I failed them._

_Shhh,_ Alec whispered to her in his mind, rubbing his hands up and down her arms to help calm her. _All will be well. I promise. Contrary to what you've been led to believe, our masters are just and merciful. You need not fear them._

_I don't know how I'll face them._

_Let's not worry about that right now. You are overstressing yourself without cause. Don't you trust me? Don't you know I would never lie to you or cause you harm?_

Isabella nodded and turned to face the beautiful boy holding her.

_Good. Now, are you hungry?_

She smiled at him and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. _Let's hunt._

_Lead the way, my little mervamp. You're the seafood expert._

Isabella grinned at her silly boyfriend. Boyfriend. Hers. The thought made her smile wider. Even if she was a freaky blue-eyed mervamp, she had Alec and the rest of the Volturi. She didn't feel normal but she did feel cared for. She was happier than she'd ever been. _We should find a shark. Oh! And I think there's an old shipwreck nearby we can explore!_

Alec gazed lovingly at the vampire girl. Her excitement and happiness was written all over her face. It was infectious and he couldn't help but marvel at his luck to be the one here with her. She had no idea how special she was or how far he'd go to please her. She made it easy to love her. He'd never known another like her.

Isabella grabbed Alec's hand and began pulling him through the water.

_You can scent the water the same as you do the air. It's easier really, once you get used to the salt levels._

Alec nodded and tried to school his senses to focus on the hunt instead of the beautiful goddess leading him through the water. Her hair flowed softly around her with the rhythm of the tide like the wings of an angel. He found he had to close his eyes to concentrate. Scenting the water, he tried to focus on the salt to begin with, as she suggested.

_It's different than the tank,_ he noticed idly.

_Yeah, the levels in the tank are a bit off. Nothing dangerous for the life there but we can adjust them later on._

_Why didn't you say something?_

_When someone gives you such a wonderful gift, you do not point out a tiny flaw. It would have been very rude. There's no harm in leaving it as it is. _

_You are too easy to please, Izzy. _

_I will endeavor to be more of a challenge, _she thought, turning to smile at his silliness. _Now focus, what do you smell?_

~xoxo~

They hunted for a few hours and Alec adapted quickly. Between the two of them they took down a shark, an octopus, and several smaller fish, shredding each to hide their scraps. Satisfied, Izzy began showing Alec all her favorite parts of being underwater. They explored reefs and caves and saw many types of beautifully colored plants before she found what she'd been looking for.

Isabella grabbed Alec's hands and spun him in the water to see what she had found.

_It's an old ship, _he thought simply.

_Yeah, probably not as exciting for you, but for those of us who can't remember when these ships actually sailed… I think it is remarkable._

_It looks as if it will crumble at any moment._

_Maybe. Maybe not. Let's go inside and look around before it does._

The excitement was plain on her face. He nodded and followed her in. She was right, he wasn't particularly interested in some old broken ship but he'd never deny her, no matter what she asked.

_I don't think anyone has discovered this wreck. _

They climbed slowly through a breach in the hull and began picking their way through the decks.

_You've discovered it, Sea Princess, ruler of all under the sea._

She turned back and gave him a snarky smile to answer his cheeky one.

_Pick on me all you want. You are the one who followed me in. Besides, this place is so cool. Just think we're the first ones to see all this in hundreds of years._

He smiled at her sweetly and nodded. _You're right. It is interesting to be somewhere that no one has in so long. The world is so much more populated than it was in my youth and places that you can go and truly be alone are rare._

She turned back and slid her arms around his neck. _I like being alone with you._

He slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. _Izzy? _

_Yes? _

_Can I…?_

She saw the intent before he could properly form the thought and leaned in to press her lips to his.

_Nowhere I would rather be in all of space or time,_ he thought as his lips moved with hers.

The lovers' embrace continued as they each thought about how lucky they were to have found the other.

_I wish I could keep you here with me always._

_Whatever you wish, my Ocean Queen, I will strive to make a reality._

She pulled back and looked into his eyes, gone a bit more lavender than crimson from their hunt. _It would be selfish of us. We both owe service to our masters._

_We owe something to ourselves as well, my love. _

_But we can have both, can't we?_

_As you wish. Always._

Izzy looked as if she was laughing softly although there was no air for the sound.

_What is it?_

_A favorite movie of mine, that's all. Kind of silly but very romantic. You quoted it. _

_When?_

"_As you wish." It was the way the hero told his princess that he loved her._

_Then I will look for more opportunities to say it, _he told her with a smile before kissing her again softly.

Her smile radiated joy. Even if she weren't in his head, he could not doubt that she was happy and knowing she was, made him so also.

_Come on. Let's explore the ship a bit more._

_As you wish._

She smiled again. The boy that had seemed so bored when she first met him had developed a cute sense of humor in their time together. She enjoyed his light-hearted banter.

Edward had always seemed so damn serious. Edward. Why had she thought of him again?

She really should return and beg forgiveness. She hoped Alec was right and Aro wouldn't be too angry with her. She just couldn't bear the thought of upsetting them when they'd done nothing but help and support her.

A sparkle to her left caught her eye. Digging in the sand accumulated on the deck, she found an open chest. There were treasures here. Among them, she found three crowns buried in the sand filled chest. They were too perfect, showing them to Alec, he agreed. They should take them back to their masters.

They turned to leave with the souvenirs but then Izzy spotted a necklace with a deep red ruby pendant and she snatched it up as well before they both climbed from the wreckage and began the trek back to Volterra.


	14. Ch 14 Sire

**Chapter 14 Sire**

A/N: Thanks to my beta, Reka, for catching my typos & to my readers for your patience! =)

~XOXO~

As they emerged from the water it was quite dark. Izzy paused for a moment to stare up at the starry sky with wonder. Alec found himself grinning, a habit he'd only acquired since she came to court. He stepped up behind the goddess he admired and slipped his arms around her waist.

Isabella relaxed into the embrace of her love and continued to marvel at the stars. It was the first time she had looked at them since becoming a vampire and she was astonished at the sight. Not even the pictures she'd seen online taken by satellites could compare to the detail and color her new eyes allowed her to see.

She suddenly began wondering if Van Gogh had been a vampire and if that was what had allowed him to see the world in such vivid color as he depicted in his paintings.

"We have some, you know. If you want to see them sometime," Alec murmured, his face tucked gently into the crook of her neck.

"What?" she asked, confused as to what he could be referring to.

"Van Gogh's paintings," he clarified. "There are some that have never been seen by the public before. Aro commissioned a few. And, no, he wasn't a vampire, just a genius."

"I hadn't realized I was speaking."

"You weren't but I think you're still in my head."

"Oh, sorry. I hadn't intended to be but that's very interesting, like it's becoming reflexive and not forced. I wonder…" she began before stopping abruptly.

Alec felt Izzy go perfectly still under his hands.

"What is it?" he whispered, afraid to speak up as it appeared she was listening to something.

"I'm not sure but I have a bad feeling. It's really late, let's get back."

Alec smiled and released his hold on her body only to grab her hand. Giving her no warning, he took off running as fast as he could toward Volterra. She had no trouble keeping up and the jarring start had effectively eased her tension. He was fairly certain he'd even heard her laugh a bit.

The countryside flew by and before they knew it, they were slowing as they approached the gates of Volterra to find a very stressed looking Demetri waiting there.

"There you two are! I've been trying to locate you but your shield went back up suddenly a few moments ago. We need to get inside. Master Aro is asking for you," Demetri spoke quickly, beginning to lead them inside.

"Are the masters very angry at me for failing them?" Izzy asked softly.

"Failing? Did you not just hear what I said? Your shield only _just_ dropped. You may have fled the meeting, and dry land, for that matter, but your shield remained up and protecting us. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to track you at all. I knew you were in the water and I knew you came out of it but just as I was about to run after you, you just dropped off my radar."

"My shield stayed up for all of you after I left?"

"Yes, it was quite remarkable. And do not worry. The masters are not angry at you, only worried for you."

Izzy felt instantly calmer at the news but unable to shake the sense of foreboding that had interrupted her stargazing only moments before. Something was still wrong. She took an inventory of her surroundings as they approached the doors to the throne room. There was no sense of the Cullens or any other vampire outside of the Volturi within immediate range. What could be wrong?

As Demetri and Alec led Izzy into the center of the room, Aro rose from his throne to meet her.

"Isabella! You're safe."

"Yes, Master Aro. I'm so sorry for running off like that and making you worry. I just reached a point where I could no longer tolerate _his_ presence."

"It is alright. We quite understand. He is most intolerable," Caius snickered from his throne, giving Isabella a genuine smile.

"We are relieved to see you safe," Marcus added.

Izzy's gaze dropped to her feet. If she could have still blushed, she would have at the attention the three important vampires gave her freely.

"Thank you for your concern. I'm only sorry for making you worry. If you have a moment, Alec and I have gifts for you. Call them tokens of my affections."

"That is not at all necessary, _la mia specchiatura_," Aro told her with a smile.

"But you will like them, I think," Alec added with another of his new found grins.

Marcus couldn't fail to notice the strengthening bonds surrounding the newest addition to the coven and the level of happiness that was almost palpable in her presence.

Isabella reached into her cape and produced three very simple gold bands. She reached up to place the first on Aro's head.

"They are nothing spectacular, just very simple, but very old, golden crowns. There are no jewels or details, but we could always have them personalized with more detail later, if you wish."

Aro smiled at her and Isabella moved on to place the two matching crowns on Marcus's and Caius's heads.

"They are beautiful, Isabella," Marcus told her while admiring their new adornments. "Thank you."

"Yes, thank you, Isabella," Caius echoed, reaching up to adjust the crown on his head.

"You are too thoughtful, _la mia specchiatura_," Aro chimed in. "Where did you find them? They seem very old."

"They must be. Alec and I found them in a wrecked ship at the bottom of the sea. From the looks of the ship, I'd say they must be several hundred years old. Don't you think, Alec?" Isabella asked, effectively redirecting the masters' questions toward him so she could slip off to the side of the room for a moment.

Alec told the three vampire kings about the discovery of their new crowns as Isabella found her new sister. "Jane, why do I have the sneaking suspicion that you did something wonderful since I last saw you?"

"It was nothing," the short blond shrugged. "I was faced with a situation in which normally I probably would have inflicted pain first and inflicted pain again later, but before I could act I wondered what you would do in my place and did that instead. It worked out pretty well."

Isabella laughed softly. "Well, don't ever let anyone tell you that karma isn't instant sometimes," she told Jane as she pulled the ruby pendant she had collected from the wreckage and placed the heavy gold chain around Jane's neck.

Jane looked down at her necklace for a moment before emitting a very uncharacteristically girly squeal and throwing her arms around Izzy's neck. "Oh! Thank you so much, sis! I can't believe you'd think of me."

Isabella just chuckled and hugged her new sister tight, "Of course I would! You're my sister and my friend!"

Jane finally realized she had drawn the gaze of most everyone in the room with her antics and, embarrassed, pulled back and put her normal disinterested look back on her face.

"Isabella," Aro called, returning her attention to the center of the room. "Please come here, dear. There is a reason we sent Demetri for you."

Isabella smiled quickly at Jane before flitting back to Aro and Alec.

"Now then, there is news from Alice Cullen and we need to prepare."

Isabella tried very hard to stay calm and not roll her eyes at the thought of her former sister butting into her life again.

"It seems that when the Cullens left us, they placed a call to the Denali clan. They were anxious to share the news of you being safe. They were not aware of the problem this would cause."

"Problem?" Isabella asked softly.

"Yes, it seems that your sire was there. He is apparently interested in you now, though we do not know in what capacity. Alice has seen him and his mate traveling to Volterra to find you but that is all we know."

There was silence as everyone waited to see how Isabella would react but she remained still, not sure how to process this new information.

After quite some time, she finally spoke. "Laurent? I don't understand. What does he want?"

"We do not know but you do not have to speak with him if you do not wish to," Aro reassured her. "Perhaps you should go rest for a while. You must be tired after all this and I want you to think about what you want in regards to your sire. Whatever decision you reach, know we will support you."

Isabella nodded and turned, a bit disoriented, to head toward her room. She weaved a bit as she walked before regaining her balance. Aro was right, she was tired and the stress was wearing her down exponentially.

What could Laurent want? He had not been trying to turn her, only kill her. What if he came to finish the job? The thought made her stumble and a feeling similar to nausea swept over her before she could even make it out of the throne room.

"Jane, Alec, see to her," Caius snapped, causing the twins to snap out of their own thoughts and worries and run over to Izzy.

They helped her to her room as the kings sat back to discuss the possible implications that this Laurent's arrival could cause. They had no way to know what was in store for their new dearest daughter but they knew they would protect her as best they could.

~XOXO~

E/N: Aro's nickname for Isabella did change from "_lo mio specchio_" to "_la mia specchiatura_" in this chapter. It means **my mirror** and was changed thanks to my new friend, Ari, who is a native speaker of Italian. Thanks, Ari! :)


	15. Ch 15 The Twins

_For Alec'sbaby1_

I wrote this a long time ago. Thanks to some recent encouragement, I decided to go ahead and post it. I'm not promising more chapters now, but I will try to get another written soon. Thanks for continuing to read.

* * *

**Chapter 15 The Twins**

Alec did not like seeing his Izzy so weak. It was disconcerting to think of a vampire being tired at all, it was unheard of, but this was his Isabella. His. The thought rang true to him.

He found warring concerns inside him. She was weak from using her powers so much. So much so they had to support her as she returned to her room. Jane was now helping Izzy change clothes and get into bed as he stood guard outside her room, wondering what the arrival of his mate's sire would mean.

Would he try to take Izzy away? Would she want to be with her sire? The thought brought an unintentional growl from his lips. She was his. His mate. If she wanted to join her sire, he would leave at her side, the Volturi be damned. He would see her happy and stay by her side for as long as she allowed it.

Would she send him away? The thought cut him deep. No, they were mates. She would need him. He would show her that he put her first and he would fight any who tried to keep him from her. He needed to know more about this Laurent.

Without a thought to protocol, figuring it was better to apologize later than beg permission now, he left the castle to seek out the one who might give him answers of what the future might bring.

* * *

Jane had always been attuned to her twin. She knew before he did that love was blossoming in his heart. She immediately felt his distance as he left the castle, without any visual or auditory clues to his disappearance. She knew it must be an errand for Izzy because she believed nothing else would take him from his watch.

"What's wrong?" Izzy called sleepily to Jane, pacing by her bed.

"He left," Jane replied simply and softly.

Izzy did not need to ask more. With great effort in her weakened state, she stretched her mind to his._ Where are you, my love?_

Off to seek answers, dearest one.

Be safe and return to me soon, she replied with concern.

_Rest, Princess. I'll return before you wake._

Reluctantly, Izzy released her shield and fell back against her bed.

Jane observed the exchange and felt comforted by Izzy's calm demeanor. Whatever her brother was up to was undoubtedly as she had suspected. Before she could ask, Izzy did something that Jane had only seen humans do before, she fell asleep.

Jane sat on the edge of the bed and watched the unusual vampire that had changed her life so thoroughly with her arrival at court. Her fingers moved to caress the beautiful gift around her neck that her...friend, her sister, had given her.

She felt protective of the girl as she watched her sleep so peacefully. She looked so young and innocent this way but Jane knew better. This girl had survived so much and become, not cold or angry, but kind and forgiving. Izzy's kindness was not a weakness but a great strength. She couldn't help but admire the girl she'd only recently found to be intolerably foolish.

She smiled. She had a friend, a true friend. She was happy.

* * *

Alice Cullen was standing outside the door of the large house as Alec approached. Of course she would know he was coming and what he meant to ask. He hoped it was a good sign that she appeared to have come to welcome him because he knew he would not allow her to turn him away.

"There's no need for that decision," she called out to him as he reached her. "Though evidence to the contrary has been given, we love her as much as you do. Please come in. We are eager to help in any way we can."

Alice stepped aside to allow Alec entrance to the house. Inside he found all of the Cullens sitting and looking anxious. He found his confidence leaving him as seven pairs of golden eyes stared at him. Only then did he remember that his sister usually handled the interrogations and he didn't know where to begin.

"Is she okay?" Edward spoke up from the back of the room.

Alec's thoughts immediately drifted to the image of his beautiful mate and his heart soared for a moment.

"I see," Edward responded to the image with a voice dripping with hopelessness. "I never wanted this life for her, but it seems it was fated to be. I know she is your mate. It couldn't be more clear. Try to understand, I will always love her."

Alec's growl tore through the house at Edward's words. He could feel Jasper sending calm to him as he watched Edward raise his hands in a gesture of surrender.

"No one is disputing your claim, Alec," Carlisle said gently as he moved to place a calming fatherly hand on the young man's shoulder. "We only want her safe and happy. Come and sit. We will tell you all we know of Laurent and you can return to her."

"What do you know about her sire?" he asked simply, sitting amongst the Cullens to find out what he'd come to learn.


End file.
